The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-10-02

1898 ....-..... ............. ..
1879 .-............ -.......
These prices were arbitrary anil
fixed by agreement among Tho -..
companies, and there is no rat..-.r
PLANTATION for the extraordinarv
tions. II did not cost 4 penny r--.
produce a ton of coal in l<qs vr.-
sold for 1919 a ton, than in lS.- .
it sold for $2.97, and the falling .a
price caused a correspondents loss ,. .
stockholders OF the railway rom..,.
Since 1898 there have been produced .,
800, 0O0, 900 tons OF coal, and if The n-..
of the yea had been maintained The oe.
ers of the mines and the RAILWAYS vo.,t
be richer now to the extent Of SIaun..
600 or Whereabouts. The average price, ot
coal during all the years since 1879 V.
s3.2S. or 81 cents less than the maAIm.,
in that year.
The moral Of this story. as drawn r.
the operators, is that they canuo, as
ford to increase the wages Of their .r.
ployes because they never know wha,
GOA is going up or down. When il sells
for 1919 at New York they make large
profits. When it sells for $297 they I..a
money, and they never know what their
product will be worth nor what tha.-
profits will be. They are entirely at The
mercy of the railway companiea vn,
can MAKE them rich or ruin them Iy
marking up or marking down the price.
The railway managers admit that
would be an ideal condition if the rates
of coal could be fixed permanently. I'm.
they explain that it would be necessary
to have a summer rate lower than the
winter rate or all the business would 1a
owd into the winter months and tho
mines and railways would be idle all
summer A lower rate in the summer Is
an inducement for both dealers and con
sumers to buy, SO that the monthly OUT
put does not vary a great deal through
the year. The smallest demand is in
April, May and June, when the output
will average 1000 900 tons Il month. I'm
September and October, the heaviest
months, it will run as high as 100000
and 5000, 900 tons.
The railway managers explain, how
ever, that such an arrangement cannot
be made, first, because it is forbidden
by the antitrust law as interpreted by
the Supreme Court, and, second. without
a distinct and positive contract or agree
ment, it would be impossible to keep
the railways. straight. On several coca
sions such a thing has been attempted
The managers have met and agreed that
the prices Of coal for the next six months
should be so and so. For awhile the
rates were maintained, but when some
big contractor came along and offered 10
buy a large quantity at a shade lower
han the established price it was djfd-
cult to resist the temptation. If there
were a awful way under the sherman
law to force such an agreement a scheme
might be successful, but the spirit Of
competition will not permit them to last
long.
The fluctuations in the prices Of coal
are usually caused by natural condition
The selling agents Of the different com
panieS have wide discretion and hani."
large lots-thOusands of tons in single
sales-for which they regulate the DTI0"
according to the state of the market. lhr
supply on hand and the present or pros.
pective demand. There is suppose io
be more or less speculation in it a'7'
but that is difficult to trace. It n"F'f-
theless remains true that as long as nh"
railway companies can lower or advance
the price of coal at will the operator
VII nave an eACuSc lOl HOI '
wages.
Another point in the controVef-F is
that the local managers and s~uperlni'''
ents for the large corporations comI.a.L
that they are not allowed sufficient t'
erty Of action, and that the director .
New York are not as familiar as ..'
should be with the subjects upon
they are required to act. On the ""'
hand, the miners complain that the ..'
ity and misrepresent the condition q"
fairs to the directors. When Their ''"
mittees have appealed for reforms
redress from grievances the superior '
ficers send them back to the sIl'
tendents or accept the recommends.
of the local officials, who may "'-
selves be the cause of the complaints
The shopkeepers and merchants .
ticipatiOn Of a long strike and a JAN
off in trade, are beginning TO d's'.".
their clerks and other employ
the table in a hotel lining room 'A'
er evening were seven young H'.
OF them had that day recelE'H
that their services would not h'
after this week. The seventh "a
ployed in the tax office.
WILLIAM G.. CURT
Tn uoror of porfuOoIs King,