New-York tribune., 1901-07-15
SOFT COAL COMBINATION
VIEWS OF AN EXPERT WHO THINKS TT
WOULD BE A GOOD THING
FOR TRADE.

Much heard last week as to the possibility
IA control of the soft coal interests which sh,,
"a the lakes and the eaboard II is noss;b,a
that something may be done in this direction
with the hope that the business may be put
upon q more stable foundation and the tonnage
sent in directions Where IL will prove most
proitable TO the producers. Naturally ,hera
are certain grades of coal which In the op,nion
# the producers. should be sent to certain
markets, and not TO others where Ii enters into
competition with inferior grades: for instance
II would be particularly desirable in respect to
Americas foreign trade that coal of a certain
quality only be marketed abroad, for II is well
known that the coal which America must COM
pete with in Europe is of excellent quality
There have been some instances where coal of
inferior quality has been sent to Europe and has
injured the reputation Of American coal
Il is probable that the control of the Fairmont
coal field, which was particularly referred to
last week, is an indication that this coal will be
used for the export trade, and it will form an
excellent fuel with which to compete with any
other and build a trade upon. II is upon this
view Of the case that the following interview
between Frederick Edward Saward, Editor OF
The Coal Trade Journal" and Tribune re-
porter is founded:
81 suppose you have heard of all this talk about
controlling the soft coal trade of the seaboard-in
fact, the entire Eastern Slope?"
'Oh, yes. II is at all improbable that there
will be something done toward gathering into one
tricts which ship the lakes to the South by the
OHIO and Mississippi rivers and TO the seaboard
a judicious movement thereof together with the
maintenance of prices and values and the ship
ment OF any surplus that might occur to foreign
ports there is all the the more opportunity FOR the
maintenance main @ OF the anthTaeite ,I combination
above any other year by the increased prices be
had and the economies that are being made in ali
sions. etc. this whole scheme OF control of the
coal product is one Of the grandest which ever
been conceived"
SOFT GOALS GREAT FUTURE
What do you think of the outlook for the soft
coal trade, particularly that Of the Eastern or
THE chief feature of the bituminous trade has
less TO do with the present than with the future.
grades Of Pennsylvania bituminous. and while the
Of % anS ey aT 9g a9 5hse sv in s shs nlsss
But the unusual conditions which beset the btu.
when the tide turns the producers. or many OF
them. preparing take advantage of It This
advantage; not in any gigantic scheme 10 control
everything in sight and on the planet Mars. but by
certain lines OF railroad and formulating plan
foF sne in e @ eS ns hsepgh
This is distinct tendency of the times
growing as dd and can We
outstIip Great Britain again this year?"
United States during the year 1860 show that there
was growth OF something like 1900 600 tons. or
Within the last two years this country has grown
that it has exceeded the tonnage Great Britain:
while for 1899 the excess was not yery great yet for
with progress al such il is not likely thar
passed Naturally. the soft coal production is by
far the largest as soft coal is spread over large
fact that the anthracite is produced in so small an
II is = ,S know that there a an
this Will no doubt be exceeded in 1901 as already
Of 1so Of @ % tons ssf It is sad That the vae
Of The s eSs % Of TT the United States in 1890
fore Shipment and does not include anything in the
several points of consumption or shipment. and it
product OF the United States IN 1899
TOWING COAL TO CUBA
What is America doing in the way Of foreign
Growing every month-and that towing Of barges
Philadelphia on June l9 with two barges. carrying
lieO horsepower, and each Of the barges about
300 feet long and 40 feet wide Havana was reached
sailed on the evening of July l. reaching Pha-
@ eePhia on July making the ns trip from dock to
his time between Fhllsdslphis and Havana IS
aRs Fd' te tSsn thfteen
being laden with nearly 10000 gallons OF molasses
toW on he her return trip Coal is worth so ton in
Cuba. so you figure the profit"
which were. formerly Britain's customers, or TO
News norfolk Baltimore and PhiiadeIph furnishes
sSsh sss and bark ena ast 10 %sef
caTgoes Of Maryland coal for Canada. This will be
year SfS0n by naaTn coal The Eots viii
load for Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
The bark Emma r. Smith will load for ST. Johns
y. S. This s. truly a case of CARRYING Goals to
region Of Cape Breton. which have supplied the
railroads and factories Of Canada. and even the
DO You fancy ~ that Great Britain is hard pushed
10 get enough coal? How deep does she have to go
F sF IN S a2and s or coal mining
Well in this country we are digging coal out Of
the other side Of the big pond they talk about
shafts of from thousand 10 two thousand feet
Of Some account. Professor Geikie gives in round
numbers the sum Of her available coal deposits as
400 feet. 5sooo.coOe5 tons in same coal fields be-
tween 400 and 5000 feet sSoS01 1000, tons on n con COZ,
10000 tons; in the m same am coal field fields a betWeen
@ GO to@ and s feet total s coco aes ors sn e
figure arrived at by the Argyll Commission which
Inquired into the @ spn re based 81 on
.erent depths. In their report. published in ls1:
their the 1gai 1ggs estimate Of the actual quantities
available coal in known British fields. ct depths
0 0 @ 400 Of se ssS a not % nos
think o. working anything less than about your
feet OF COAL and as said. by drifts or very snail
low shafts
SOFT COAL PRICES ABROAD.
What are they getting for soft coal on the other
side with which America would have TO compete:
IN M 0f les, she Wnsh s9lt coa s s
IS Is: seconds, 81 s0 thirds s4 IS: dry Goals. s3 -
70 81 az seconds So 81: best small steam coal 81 is
20 81 5 seconds 81 2s: other sorts TO- AT any OF
son aa ,s av Question cga is that Of Height
But VIII get there If the Leyland Line goes into