The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-12-23
COAL DECLINE
HITS DEALERS
Mine Prices of Ordinary
Soft Coal Are Down
About $500 a Ton.
PRODUCTION IS LARGE

Columbus, o. The general price
crash which began with the collapse
of the sugar market has now caught
the coal profiteer.
The price of ordinary soft coal at
the mines has fallen an average of
about Sc a ton, compared with the
higA prices of few months ago.
A drop of Sc ton in soft coal if it
is passed on by retailers means a saw
ing on the nations coal bill of ST.
7Oo,ooO,OOO year.
Further Drop Coming.
Further declines in coal prices as a
result of the mild weather" are pre-
dicted in the latest issue of the Coal
Trade Journal. Other factors that
smashed soft coal prices at the mines
are the big production of the past few
months and the shutting down of fac
tories which normally use big quanti-
ties of coal.
Coal brokers say the price is down
to stay down This is because big
production at the mines has ended the
danger of serious coal famine.
The interstate commerce commission
is so certain that coal will be plenti-
full this winther that it has revoked
the last of the emergency orders Civ
ing coal priority on the railroads.
The Tumble.
Here's how the market has drop
ped:
Pittsburgh Number eight lump coal
sold for $40 ton at the mine mouth
in the summer. 1t has dropped to 81.
Jobbers say it will reach bottom at
1926 by the first of the year.
Number slack coal used in manu-
featuring, has fallen from SO. so ton
at the mines to $3.40.
Number 8 mine run coal cost SO a
ton at the mines in early autumn. 1t
has dropped to 81 ton. Jobbers say
it will go to 81 so, which is cost. A
year ago this coal sold for So 10 a
ton.
Consumers should notice that the
above prices are the prices charged by
the mines Freight charges and re-
tailers' profits and costs of doing bust
ness are added before the coal reaches
consumers.
The Higher Grades
The higher grade Goals, such as Poe
ahontas have not fallen as violently
as standard grades like No. and Hook
ing Big export demand has kept up
the price of the best grade Goals. But
shipments from tidewater are being
choked off This will result in a fur
Their collapse of Pocahontas and other
prices, jobbers say, as soon as Amer
lean buyers again control the mark
ct
The actual cost of mining bitumin-
Gus coal, ready for shipments at T..
mines, has increased only So cents
ton since 1918 This is announced by
the Federal Trade Commission in its
December report The commissions
information is based on reports of op-
Grating costs received from 566 soft
coal operators.
Production is Big
Soft coal production so far this year
is 100000 tons less than in the same
period of 1918, when war demand kept
the mines running full blast. But il
is 74,000,000 tons bigger than the cor.
responding period of 1919
Coal shortage in the northwest will
not be as acute as originally was fear,
ed and there will be no shortage easi
of the Mississippi Shipments of coal
up the Great Lakes this year totaled
about 100000 tons ahead Of 1919
less than 100000 tons behind 1911
and about 100000 tons behind 1917 +,
Production of anthracite coal so fan
in 1920 is about 100000 tons less than
in the corresponding period year ago
Independent operators, meeting in
Philadelphia, announce that produc
ton will soon increase greatly and
that a flood of hard coal will hit spec
ulators who have been manipulating
the market.