The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-23
FRANCE IN need OF COAL
A Good Market Open for the Amer
lean Product.
The scarcity of Fuel Followed by
Advanced Prices, and Large Sales
Have Been Made by Firms I'm the
United States-EnEIand No Longer
TO supply the Demands of Europe.

Robert p. Skinner, the United States
Consul to Marseilles, in a communication
to the Department Of State. says Of the
demand for American coal in France:
Continuing my several reports on the
introduction OF American coal into the
French market, l wish to offer a few OBJ
servations concerning the prospect OF per
manently supplying this trade. thus reply
ing to a number of correspondents. When
l first suggested about a year ago, that
American coal might find buyers in the
Mediterranean. an eminent authority on
such subjects in the United States declar-
ed that it would be quite impossible TO
compete with Cardiff; yet today, as mat
ter Of fact something like $4,000 tons OF
Pocahontas coal are coming into the Med
iterranean. and judges Of prevailing con-
ditions think that American coal may con-
tinue to arrive for at least year, there
being no likelihood that normal prices will
prevail within that time
Il have never declared that American
coal could compete evenly iu this market
but have pointed out more or less tenn
porary conditions during the continuance
OF which profitable sales might be made.
: Such conditions now exist more StTlhngly
/ than ever Coal sells readily al any price,
/ and large American sales have been made
1 in spite Of the fact that the very eau e.
] at work in Cardiu have also brought on
4 high prices in the United states. Whether
I our coal having found its way into Mar
settles for the first time in our CONNER
cial history. can maintain its position. is
/ a question worth the study OF our econo-
mists.
The coal now en- route from Newport
/ News will pay $3.65 freight TO Marseilles,
while the Cardiff rate TO Marseules is
| about S2.I3 With coal difficult TO get in
I England at any price Americans can easily
| sell here at profit; but il is evident that
/ in ordinary times the low price Of AmeTi-
J can coal delivered at the seaboard is such
/ that no substantial reduction can be eX-
pected, and means must be found 10 APP
proximate the rates for freight between
Marseilles and Cardf.
The advantage Of Cardiff lies In the
. fact that steamers reach England loaded
( with importations and take an outward
. cargo OF coal on very elastic terms. In the
. United States. on the other hand. ships ar
! rive in ballast very frequently. auticipat-
/ ing a profitable outward cargo IT, In the
! course OF time. cargoes Of freight can be
! directed 10 the United States from Old
! World ports. thus giving TO shipowners a
l double haul We can look for such changes
( in rates as will enable US 10 continue In
F., the Mediterranean coal trade under all cir
/ cumstanCes- In the meantime. we have
in our favor a steady decrease in the Eu-
I ropean coal supple and steady increase
in our own production.
SO important is the shortage OF CONT
( mental coal and so nearly is the British con-
sumption equal TO domestic requirements
/ that IL may seriously be questioned wheJh-
/ or England can long continue TO supply the
/ Old World with coal. even after present
/ pressure is removed. Thoughtful persons
/ look to the future 10 develop the use Of
/ petroleum as a fuel. and in the Caspian
I Sea most steamers are now being operst-
( ed with oil / have heard IL intimated
that capitalists aided by the Rothschilds
are now projecting the establishment OF
oil depOts in the seaport cities OF the
/ world. contemplating a revolution Of this
I character and the creation Of a Russian
! monopoly in the Gale Of oil for marine
/ fueI.
For the moment. however. the question
is where TO get coal, and not its price.
/ When the coal OF Cardiff passes S2.55 the
situation is always deemed serious. That
price has not been known for months. and.
as the miners are paid on a sliding scale.
themselves securing a liberal share Of the
/ present advance their disposition Is 10
work as few days IN the week as possible.
and thus, by encouraging the scarcity in
/ the supply. sustain the market.
"A British coal dealer tells me that three
and four days work per week is about all
that the owners now look for from the
miners. Contracts made last year for 1900
delivery in Marseiles were fixed at S6.OS
but the market price In this city has long
been higher. and contract vessels can only
obtain needed supplies at the contract
price so low is the stock.
The following letter from Worms 4 Co
minimizes the amount OF American coal
1 ordered thus far this being generally
placed at 90 0O0 tons:
Marseiles January L.. 1900
Robert p. skinner, Esq, Consul Of the United
States Of America. MarsCilles:
/ Sir: IN continuation Of our letter Of YESTERDAY
and in reply TO yours OF the 18Th, beg 20 stat,
I that the only operation in American c03l thus fsl
Z is cargo Of $500 which have now OF
: 0u tic way bv the steamer Inca II. fuliy
anticipate the result OF this trial is satisfactory
/ We expect our imports Of American coal VIII be-
come regular and on a large scale, certainly a,
long as the present desrth Of fuel and the present
famine prices prevail in England and on an,
| Continent and possibly after the markets hav,
| returned TO a more normal condition; but. {,
the latter we are unable to speak with any degre,
Z rather considerable shipments Of American Goa
ere now being made 70 the West Indies, Soutl
/ America Las Palmas. Lisbon. Barcelona Genoa
! and some few other Mediterranean ports. and W,
are informed by head Office in Paris that thel
! are now endeaN ring to arrange some shipment
| to the French Chanrel and Atlantic ports Your
| faithfully, WORMS co.