The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-27
ASNG.P RIGESIN
GDALPREDICTED
BYI'RIA||IDEEDITOR /
November Slump In Fuel
Trade Believed to Have
Htt Bottom Now.
BY AAIEDEE j. CASEY

ByAMEDEE J CASEY
Editor American Coal journal
Coal prices right now appear
to have hit absolute bottom for
this season and the householde.
With an empty bin will have no
better chance to lay in his winter
Tlhe November slump" in the
coal trade Is coming TO a close, 1t
tltltes place every year In the face
u railroad strikes, car shortages,
mine strikes and what not. 1t Is
that period of lull that int0rvenes
between the time when the first
cold snap send the last minute
trade Shouting into the retailers
yard Yelling for five tons Of coal!
Ftg1it away
From now on the probabilities
are for rising prices. They have
begun in certain parts OF the East
already and the Middle West re-
ports this week tell Of increased
demand.
Due to warm weather the
speed With which the operators
have been holsting fuel and q
marked Improvement In the car
situation, reserves have been &C.
diminishing for several weeks and
prices tiaye slipped. and gone
down concessions on the part Of
dealers anxious to nave all the
coal possible. In the Chicago dis
trictS mine prices OF screenings
have dropped from $3.50 to $3.50
and Southern Illinois mine run is
$3.50 at the mines. The mine
price Sof Pocahontas is Sc and an.
thracite Is offered ut $12.SO T. o.
b. at Chicago.
Thei movement Of lake coal is
coming TO an end. Estimates this
week are that a million tons ns
anthfaeite and 1S,000,0OO tons Ut
bltumihous will reach the uprer
lake docks for the northwest TINS
season; which will prevent any
famine In that district, save in thu
case Of anthracite, and household
ers VIII be obliged to substitute
soft coal for about 40 per cent Of
their usual. anthracite needs.
Tie last weekly report Of the
Gieolog ical Survey gave weekly
output Of 113000,0 900 tons bituIui-
nous and 100000 tons OF an
thracite, d marked increase and
nearly q record for the year, Re
ports Of a q gought in the anthrat
cite area OF PENNSYLVANIA airs
causing some uneasiness. Resur-
Yoirs are about empty and there IS
lear that some OF the colllerlns
wilIsbe obliged to close down.
For q month past buyers have
been holding back In the belief
that he end Of the: lake shipping
season would release more cars
aud cause a further reduction az
coal prices. It Is most unlikely
that there will be any such &C.
suit for there Is a big demand for
other lines Of industry for. the
Ears that have been assigned 10
the coal trade under emergency
national and state orders.
There has been very little free
coal on the tracks a. Chicago Or
Detroit or in the east, shown.
how carefully the car supply is be-
ing rationed =
Coal Strike Feared
Indications OF another coal
strike next April are still present,
but many operators and trade
authorities are convinced that the
Presidents coal board will have
made enough progress and reveal
ed enough OF the true facts III
the industry so that congress viii.
be forced to act anc prevent auy
such occurrence IL the miners aud
owners themselves can not pre-
vent 1T. Asmeetlng OF a special
wage comm. Zee will be held III.
Shicagok December 6, to arrange
Tor fall conference between the
operators and the miners union a:
Cleveland on January 8 Just now
tie trade is pinnlng its hopes OF
peace in the industry next year on
this conference. 1t hopes also tina.
wage reductions may be arranged
sosthat present inflated mines
costs may be reduced and coal be
sold at a more reasonable figure
than for two years past @
Reports from state boards IA
the west recently that the ma
jority Of operators .:ave taken no
advantage OF the strike to in
crease prices this fall have caused
much qualification. Statements
; e--zs. -. = -. =