The evening times., 1900-03-24
AUsTRIA'S COAL SUPPLY
The Empire Consumes One-third
More Than 1t reduces.
The Prices of British Products In
Huenced by the Prevailing Rates
Furnished by the Local Gas
Works-The Great Mining Strike.

Frederick W. Hossfeld Consul TO Trieste
in a communication to the Department OF
State refers to the scarcity Of coal in Aus
tria as follows:
"A concurrence Of circumstances affect
ing the supply of coal at Trieste. as well as
the general coal trade of Austria, has sug-
gested the compilation Of the present re-
port, which, / believe, will prove of in
terest to mine operators and exporters OF
coal in the United States.
Austria Hungary produces only a little
more than two-thirds of the quantity OF
coal which she consumes. In the year
1899, the total production in the monarchy
was II, coo, 600 tons and the total consump-
tion $4,000, 600 tons.
The consumption of coal and coke at
Trieste at present amounts TO over soc. .0oo
tons per annum. 1t has almost doubled
since 1894. The steam and gas eeS1 used
here comes chiefly from Great BriBIin and
constitutes about 20 per cent of the entire
supply. The remainder is furnished by the
Austrian coast provinces Of Istria and Dali
malta and the inland provinces of Styria
Bohemia. and Moravia"
The prices OF British coal are, Of course,
much Influenced by the prevailing rates Of
freights. These depend mainly on the
prospects which vessels have Of obtaining
return cargoes. When, for instance, the
wheat crop in southern Russia is a good
one. British shipowners are willing to ac-
cepJ a low freight for Trieste, in the ex-
pectation that by sending their vessels
from here TO the Black Sea they may OBJ
tain remunerative wheat cargoes for Brit
ish ports. CCal freights from Cardiff or
Newcastle to Trieste have varied from
S2.lS TO S3.15 during the last two years.
The latter rate was reached about two or
three months ago, and is largely. If not eX-
clusively, due 10 the South African war.
The coke consumed at Trieste for fuel
is supplied by the local gas works. at the
price OF 1888 per ton, delivered in any
part Of the city. The quality is fa,r rly
good when British coal is employed in tie
manufacture Of gas; but when, as at pres
ent, the Austrian product is used, the coke
is of a very inferior quality. Ii is dirty
and slaty and generates but little heat.
There is at the outskirts of this city a
blast furnace which imported last year
$4,000 tons OF coke from the Westphalian
mining districts lin northwestern Ger
many. The coke is transported here by
a rather circuitous route. 1t is carried on
barges TO Rotterdam, transferred there 10
ocean vessels, and then brought to Trieste
The freight from Rotterdam to Trieste
alone is S315 per ton on an annual con-
tract. / have not been able to ascertain
the exact cost Of coke at the place Of pro-
duction or the freight thence to Rottar-
dam. There is, however, no doubt in my
mind that this material costs the Trieste
consumer no less than S12 a ton. The best
English coke could not at the present time
be laid down here for less than about Sl4
a ton.
The consumption of coal at Trieste has
nearly doubled in the last six years. as
shown in one OF the above tables. This is
chiefly due to the recent industrial devel-
opment OF the city, the beginning OF which
comedies with the abrogation of the free
port privilege. While the change las
checked somewhat the free commercial
intercourse Of this port with foreign coun-
tries. the removal OF the Austrian customs
barriers has given an impulse TO home
manufacture. With continued industrial
expansion. the consumption OF coal Will
probably again be doubled in the next five
years.
The Bohemian and Morayian coal mines,
whose products are the only ones which
can under ordinary circumstances compete
here with foreign steam coal. are $50
miles distant. In 1899, the average price
of coal at the said mines was S191 per
ton. With the freight from the mines to
Trieste at $4.06, the coal cost last year
$5.97 per ton, laid down here.
The prices for such coal. however. are
now considerably higher and quite irreg-
ular. A complete disorganization has TAX
en- place in the Austrian coal trade Sc
rious differences arose about a month ago
in the various coal regions of the empire
between miners and their employers and
have resulted in a general strike. in which
at present no less than 60 600 men in the
mining districts of Bohemia Morsyia, ard
(Austrian) Silesia are involved.
''The rather radical demands of the mi
ners and the meagre concessions which
their employers have as yet seen fit to
make are so far apart that il is difficult
TO foresee when and how the pending dis
putes viii be finally settled but il is al
most ceertain that the end of the strike
when il does come, will mean higher
wages and fewer hours Of work. The in
dustries Of this country are laboring un-
der great difficulties for want OF coal due
TO their strike, and the effect of the pres
ent crisis will be felt by them long after
work in the mines has been resumed.
In view Of this state of things and
taking also into consideration the fact
too well known to need any special eluci-
datiOn here-that a permanent rise in the
price of British coal seems inevitable /
cannot but believe that shipments Of
American coal to Trieste are practicable
In fact, at the present moment, when
as high a price as s1O.15 per ton can be
obtained for the best bituminous coal,
such shipments would be exceedingly prof
liable, even though $4.S6 to $5.1O per ton
must be paid for freight.
The present juncture in the Austrian
coal market affords the very best oppor-
tunity for introducing our coal. 1t is su-
perior TO any that has as yet found its
way to Trieste, and a trial shipment
would, in my opinion, pave the way for
a regular trade in the future, when the
markets have again resumed normal con-
ditions."