The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-22


OF railroads, gas works and other large
| consumers, steamship agents, bankers
and others at various points have given
me much general Information on this I'M
! portant trade. When at Rio. early in
June. steam coal was selling at Al shil.
lings per ton c. |. f., of which about IS
shillings represented freight charges. etc.
Steam coal is now selling at Buenos
Aires c. |. f., at S12 gold per ton. The
cost of coal at such remote points from
shipment is largely a question of freights
which are now more than twice as high
as in normal times.
The Coal Trade
Mr. Gottschalk. American consul-ge
eral at Rio de Janere, who manifests a
special interest in developing the Amer
| lean coal trade in Brazil Informed me
that in 1913 Brazil imported 2,2s2 s47. 4o2
ldlos valued at s19,5o50so, of which IS
| per cent was American, and in 1914 Bra
| Ills coal imports were 1910 126, ATS kilos
valued at $12 o09, sci, of which II per cent
was American, the European war being
responsible for the large decrease in vol
ume. Since the beginning of the war
and the limitations by England on its
coal shipments, Importation of American
coal, shipped almost entirely from Nor
| folk and Newport News. Baltimore and
| Philadelphia, has naturally largely in
creased in all of the South American
/ countries. but 1t is thought that most of
this newly acquired trade will be lost
| as soon as full supplies of coal are again
available in England. If greater prepa-
ration Is not made to undertake a deter
mined competition with English eoal
The Pittsburg Coal company has es-
| tahlished yard at Buenos Aires and is
| the only American coal concern I
have yet found in my travels to indi-
/ cate by this means a determination to
n Of
friends The English have always
monopolized the South American coal
tiade, in which they employ a large
capital in depots and equipment at
the principal ports. and will be found
aggressive competitors in defending
sheir rights of priority. In addition
to the English control of most of the
railroads and steamers. many gas, cleo
trio light and Industrial plants. they
have a we'll organized local trade
from which it will not be easy to dis
lodge them. They have quite naturally
instilled their customers with the be-
lief that all other Goals are far inferior
to the English product a conviction
that we have gone far to cement by
unwisely sending down here in times
OF emergency some of our inferior
Alabama coal. The manager of the
Compania PRIMITIVE de Gas de Buenos
Aires, consumers of 200,0 900 tons of
coal per annum, told me of his highly
unsatisfactory experience with Ala.
bama coal during a coal strike in Eng
land some two years ago Christie
phersen Brothers, arnold established
and highly reputable firm of steam
chip agents and ship brokers at Buenos
Aires and Montevideo, who sold sew
eral cargoes of coal shipped here from
Mobile In October last. and described
as "Cahaba," told me that the pur-
ClASprS WIN N Sfa f,,r
poses could not be induced to buy any
more. a Frenchman, manager of
French owned railroad, was most en-
phatic in his native tongue in describ-
ing his unfortunate experience with
Alabama coal. These and similar com
plants heard at several points would
seem to Indicate that Alabama shippers
have had reckless disregard of the
quality and condition of coal sent to
South American markets, resulting in
great prejudice against Alabama coal
generally.
Introduce Alabama Coal
Despite my many years residence in
birmingham, I have no technical
knowledge of coal or the real merits
of Alabama coal as compared to stand
sra Goals In the foreign trade; but
assume that we have Goals for steam
Ing, gas and domestic purposes equal
to "Pocahontas," the only American
coal generally known in the South
American trade. If so, no time should
be lost in seeking to Introduce 1t in
these markets in an energetic and de-
termined manner: demonstrating its
merits by practical tests among large
consumers If, indeed Alabama coal
can't be shown to be at least equal to
the best grades of "Pocahontas," in its
various uses, we need never expect to
obtain any large part of the South
american coal trade. The common
criticism of American Goals generally
is that they, are too high in volatile
matter for steaming purposes, running
between 35 and 40 per cent, whereas
not exceeding 20 per cent is desired:
that they emit excessive amount of
smoke and contain entirely too much
slack. requiring chance of CRATES to
fire economically. It is claimed that
low in volatile matter and produce an
inferior coke. These and other objec- |
tions urged need be overcome by intel |
ligent and practical tests. Any amount
of documentary evidence one might |
produce. certifying to the superior |
value of our coal. will prove unavail-
ing. 1t will be found that prospective |
consumers of Alabama coal in these
markets hall from Missouri. A mama
ger of a railroad confessed to me that |
ne would prefer to pay 20 per cent |
more for Cardiff coal If only on ac-
count of its greater hardness and large |
proportion of big blocks; that owing
10 unintelligent firemen and poor help