The Washington times., 1901-09-06
AMERICAN COAL TRADE.

Almost every day one reads of the grow
ing trade in American coal to outside
ports. At Rio 1t is stated that the Royal
Mail Steamship Company's steamer Nile
has bought n supply of American coal In
preference to the Cardiff coal sold by the
company's own agents This is the frs
instance of the kind in the history of the
company. And again II is stated that a
line of steamships will probably be estab
lished to ply between Newport News and
Marseilles for the particular purpose OF
| carrying American coal to the French
| port. Since the first of the year Newport
News has exported to Marseilles no less
! than 63,9f5 tons Of black diamonds" from
the New River mines. This coal has been
taken in eighteen different cargoes. and
the number of sailngs is increasing rap
idly. The entire output of coal exported
from Newport News since January ]. ex-
elusive of fuel for steamships, is 2i5.if1
tons Thus, it will be seen, Marseiiies
has gotten about one-quarter of the whole
amount. Trieste ranks next to Marseilies
having taken 3i,747 tons; Rio Janeiro is
third, with 1886 tons. Marseilles. Trieste,
and Rio combined took 126.50s tons, or
over half of the entire amount. the twen-
ty-three other ports to which coal has
having received in the aggregate but u.s.
969 tons.
Then one may learn that in the Pacific
official notice is sent out that hereafter
American coal will be used in the army
transports, instead of the Australian
product formerly used for this purpose.
This will give our mines shipping on the
Atlantic even more trade, as it is hardly
bat NNu In i'm ppfn would
used. It's large amount of ash and mois-
ture would preclude that coal.
1t is also stated that important
Welsh coal and iron combination is i'm
minent. representing works and coliieries
with an aggregate capital of several mil
lions sterling. The directors or the con-
cern include Windsor Richards, who re-
Gently visited the United States. II Is
south Wales will enter the combination
with a view to economy in working, in
order to meet American competition
For a year or two past the high price
of coal has been carried as tremendous
burden by the English railway lines. The
half yearly reports now coming out
point to reduction in cost Numerous
contracts have been placed with York
shire mine operators at about s2.l6 per
ton as against 81 40 at first demanded
and later S2.2S. Details which are pub
lished show that the five principal COM
panies paid for locomotive coal. in the
hrst half of the current year, about
81 OOo. 900 more than they paid in the first
half of 1880. They also show that in the
same interval the cost of permanent way
materials. etc. has increased by close on
S5O0000, while in some cases there has
been material advance in the cost OF
labor All this has coincided with de-
crease In the gross earnings from goods
and minerals, and especially from mineral
traffic. due TO the diminished activity in
the iron. steel, and other industries.
The chairman of the North Staffordshire
Railway, after speaking Of the redu:ed
dividend for the half year (3A per cent.
against Az per cent?, declared the main
cause of 1t to be the high price of coal;
and proceeded to add: On the general
outlook he could not see anything very
favorable The iron trade was in a very
bad way, and it would take a long time
to bring the furnaces which had been
blown out into work again. Ironstone
pits had also been closed. Undoubtedly,
II the price of coal had not fapen. they
would have had a general cola ose of the
trade in North Staffordshire. Even the
coal owners themselves were leginning
to feel the effects of the very high prices. |
They are not doing anything like the |
trade they were doing before the prices |
were increased, and they had already ar |
ranged for very much lower prices in all |
directions. Limestone could not go up un-
less they had some other purchasers for |
it besides the ironworks. and the pot |
teries, which had always been the main |
stay of the companys traffic. were going |
worse and worse every year.
In the coal mining industry employment |
Turing the four weeks ended July q |
showed a marked decline in the average |
number of days worked per week as COM
pared with year ago. but an increase In |
the number employed. At collieries at |
which AL, ,Sl4 workmen were employed the
week during the four weeks ended July
{. as compared with 5.52 days year ago. |