Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-04-19
FOREIGNERS WANT COAL.
AMERICAN FUEL IN GREAT DEMAND
IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES,
Millions of Tons Are Wanted Across the
Atlantic-Foreign Doors May BE Open
ed to Permanent, Profitable Trade.
Consuls' Encouraging Reports,

Atlantic-Foreign Doors May BE Opep-
ed to Permanent. Profitable Trade.
Consuls' Encouraging Reports.
That Pennsylvania coal operators
have a promising outlook for a large
and profitable market in Europe has be-
come apparent in recent news items of
Isolated deals for fuel to be delivered in
various transatlantic countries, but that
the inquiry for American fuel has be-
come quite general in continental Eu-
rope has at last become an official fact.
disclosed through consular reports, says
the Philadelphia Record. For example.
Consul Skinner, at Marseilles, France.
says that among the many inquiries of
this character which he has received is
one from A. Bluhm, st. Petersburg,
who writes as follows:
Il nave for years been selling Eng
lish and Scotch coal, and hearing now
that the United States is shipping con
siderable quantities of coal to France
and Italy, and finding your name
mentioned by a journal in connection
with the matter, | beg that you will
name to me some of the most respect
able of your shippers, to whom | may
apply for the purpose of introducing
American coal into this country. In
doing so, you would, no doubt, further
the interests of your country, as we
have here an annual importation of
about 1000, 900 TONS"
SURE TO sURMoUNT OBSTACLES.
With reference to such responses as
may be made to this and similar in
quiries Consul Skinner says: "My own
opinion is that if American capital will
take hold OF this matter in large way.
provide cargo boats of considerable size
and eliminate middlemen as far as pos
sible, the difficulties threatening perma-
nent success in building up European
markets for American coal may be over
come"
England has had a confidential official
investigating the fuel situation in Rus
sa, and he finds that in the Donetz and
Dombrovsk basins alone there will be a
deficit of 100000 tons of coal this year.
The increase in the quantity of coal i'm
ported into Russia has been from ,532,-
@5S tons, in 1877, to 3,l6l, 200 tons, in
1898, while the total for 1899 will doubt.
less be considerably larger. The two
main coal-producing centres are the
Donetz basin, in the south, and the
Dombroyski basin, in Poland.
NEEDS OF RUSSIA AND GERMANY.
While the development of the indus
trial activity of Russia and the extern
sion of railways have been, perhaps, the
main causes, they are by no means the
only explanation of the present scarcity
of coal. The coal-mining industries
themselves are not fully developed
enough to meet the demand, while in
sufficient means of transport play an i'm
portant part in the situation. The ac-
tivity of syndicates, by limiting produc-
tion, and the speculation which of late
has attended the coal and other indus
tries of Russia, are important factors.
CONSUL General Guenther, at Frank
ford, Germany, says: "There has never
been a year in the history of Germany
when greater demands had been made
upon the coal production. Although
the output of 1899 was over 100, 600, 900
tons, against 06,0OO,OOO tons in 1898,
and 01,0o0,000 in 1897, the supply has
been entirely inadequate, and much en-
barrassment and annoyance have re-
suited. The selling price of coal in
creased during 1899 over 1898 from 30
to 35 per cent"
There has been no material change in
the anthracite coal situation for the
past several weeks. This period of the
year is as rule dull, being what might
be termed "between seasons" The
dealers, however, will not long delay in
stocking up, as they are beginning to
realize that the prices which were made
April /, will be about the lowest of the
season, and with the water freight at
the present rate they cannot do better
than to fill up their bins at present
prices ad present rates of freight.
The movement is likely to commence in
a couple of weeks, or shortly after the
first of May.