The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-19
REVIEW Of COAL
TRADE CONDITIONS
PROSPECTS, ARE ReR CONTINUED.
CSaMrArRED TRANsPoRTA-
TON.
PRICES ARE RAGCEI
SCREENINGS FIRM AND STRONGER
AND EACH DIP OF MERCURY
BRHwGa OUT INQUIRIES
rem ANTHRACITE
PRICES ARE RAGCEI

| In reviewing coal trade conditions
! this week The Fuel Magazine OF Chi
cage. an authority in the coal trade,
says:
| Increased transportation efficiency
may be seen by even the casual OBJ
server. just how near 1t has been to
the limit may not be accurately judged,
but heavy freight can now be carried
with good despatch from most origi-
mating areas. The big food of traf-
| ac, offered the railroads each autumn
! has come and gone. The car short
age appeared, ran its course and has
| likewise disappeared. not to reappear r,
save under some extraordinary cir
cumstances. until long after the days
again begin 10 iengthen. Tho last re-
port on car conditions revealed a sur
plus. The motive powS has not fallen
| down and track cohTitions have with
stood the exactions. Save for the In
PREVENTION OF unusually severe winter
weather. tho prospects are for con-
tinued, unimpaired transportation eff
ciencte&.
/ Ordinary winter weather will not
/ this season cripple the railroad ser
vice seriously. That has been demon
strated during the first two weeks OF
the new year, The temperature and
other weather conditions have been
fairly close to normal There have
{ been rapid and frequent changes but
| the sum total 10 average winter wealth
er. And through 1t all conditions in
the bituminous coal market have grown
easier. The enormous coal producing
capacities of the country have once
more been laid bare. 1t has been the
IN n$ MIN
merely touched at Chicago and only
rnomsntatily but there were buster
ing winds, q little snow fail, and,
farther west, severer weather,
No Great Demand.
The nrst effect upon the coal trade
WIS to partially repair the very ragged
base OF the market. Buyers were not
/ bombarded with bargains quite so per-
sistentiy, The shipper. with the chance
OF better market ahead. proved coy
AND uncertain. And everybody listen
ed and waited for the possible onrush
OF orders FOR coal, which. IL they came
might send prices kisins. But the
onrush did not appear. The buying
and consuming trade seemed asleep. as
| III they were not aware that they were
gravely imperiled by penetrating cold
and must buy fuel without moderation
as the only means Of salvation, Tie
coal shipper has been a litt'a disap-
pointed at the lack OF spirit in the
demand. True, the latter improved
but how easy It was to fill thu larger
orders. And the sagacious shipper
immediately sought to reaiign his
| buyers.
| He arrived at two conclusions: first.
that buyers have already In large
measure forestalled their wants; and
second, that tonnage accessible to meet
unusual demands is larger than ordi-
| narily exists 40 to the first-ths pee.
| sistent unsatisfed call for coal, hn-
! ginning In August and continuing
though September. October and Int
| November. was prompted In large
rtensrrs BY tbs, fear Of coming famine,
StSnA users gorEed themselves with
coat and the generality OF action was
to load up little more heavily then
vas customary Hence the rather dis
appointing volume of orders with the
| first real approach OF winter. And
additionally. the coal merchants have
lately been receiving with greater
promptness the coal they previously
bought. this because the railroad ser
vice has improved. In fact coal has
been lately arriving at the sheds Of
many dealers 50 rapidly that they have
scarcely been able to handle Il. Then,
al to the Increased tonnage available
for emergency use: Il has heretofore
been noted from time TO time that a
considerable tonnage Of CONSIGNMENT
coal has been going forward. This
may have been drawn upon to some
degree within the past week or two
hut apparently nowhere TO tha point
OF exhaustion. And moreover, Il has
come to he the policy Of some pro-
ducers to mine coal but not to ship
it--in the event Of NO orders They
put IL up TO tho railroad company to
limit this production OF unsold coat at
mines by refusing to furnish cars until
loaded cars are invoiced The net
effect IN TO inorease the amount OF coal
available.
/ priese Ragged.
The raggedness OF prices for BTU
minous Goals has rAappeared. supsfin-
duced by the above conditions. Con-
stderfnx western fuels ~ whole, $1.7b,
T. o. b. cars at mines may b regarded
as standard quotation, with open
ofrerings In some districts a. low ~
$3.50. But the minimum quotations.
offered by shippers under tho enhar-
"a ssment OF demurrass or other handi-
cap. are without rule and seemingly at
times without reason.
And the rnomentAry tone OF the mar
lket for eastern bituminous Goals Is
similarly heavy, and similarly ragged.
There are soms solid conservative
producers with wen stabilized trads,
who ars holding to former circular,
but shippers less Fortunately placed In