The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1913-06-04
Demand Steady
and Prices
Good.

With h o month of May
rounding out it is seen that a
good business condition pervails
in the coal trade and that the
orders in hand are not merely
the result of belated April in
quiries, as was stated by some
people early in the month. Now
it liz seen that the unsettled
conditions early in the year
were due to purely temporary
causes, to a state of mind, a
personal reluctance quite as
much az to circumstances aris-
ing from actual trade condi.
tions, The way orders have
since been coming in speaks
well for the fundamental con
ditions of the trade for since
about April tenth there has
been little to complain of with
regard to volume of business.
In many directions May will
establish Il new tonnage record
and even in those centers where
trade is quiet the commentators
on business conditions have to
admit that this is only sea
sonat 10 state of affairs.
Even in the Chicago market
it is stated that prices are firm
er aud point is made of the
fact that there is not n great
deal of coal above tho ground.
1t ia helped too by the strength
of the eastern Goals. If that is
TO be its guiding principle we
may look for unusually strong
conditions in the west this sum
mer and fall. That does not
mean that there will be no dull.
ness whatever. The fact s
that in years gone by the west
ern market, and the Chicago
market III particular, has been
40 demorall2ed III the summer
that an unusually strong con
dition could there develop with
out constituting II boom basis
by auy means. No doubt out
there, as in many other direc
tons, the all the year round
use Of coal is developing. The
power demands of modern times
are 80 great and 30 continuous
that summer and winter have
not nearly the same signiti-
canoe as they once had in the
coal trade, and this fact natur.
ally joins with car aud labor
shortages t o strengthen the
market of today.
The lake trade is playing it's
part as anticipated in dispos-
ing of coal tonnage. At last
there if free and unobstructed
navigation all along the great
waterway leading to the north
west and the rapacious demands
of the country 80 reached are
such as to utilize all shipments
in that direction. Much of the
coal will not be used for months
to come and for that reason
some may say that the tonnage
now sold is merely a moving
forward of business that would
be done later in any event, but
while this is true TO some de-
gree the fact that the lake trade
is now 30 large n factor early
in the season tends to keep a
certain tonnage of coal out of
the markets. near the mines
and as great force in produc-
ing commercial strength and
ability. As is so generally
known keeping demurrage coal
off the market is i'll itself n
splendid thing. Relieved o
this incubus the minor Difficult.
ties can be rectifed as n boat
rights itself when relieved OF
an unweildly deck load.
On a seaboard a spirit OF con-
tentment .preyaiis in the soft
coal trade for there is cheer.
full feeling and high prices
abroad to supplement the bet
tering situation in the interior
There is but little present result
of prospective tariff revision
Although many manufacturers
are apprehensive they have moi
| vet cut down IN the coal n.,r