New Britain herald., 1923-07-30
HARD COAL USERS
 HAVE GOOD SUPPLY
At Least Not as Badly Off as in
 1922, k, Report

 suit of the deadlock between the United Mine Workers of America and the anthracite operators association the hard coal mines shut down Sept. 1, the position of the anthracite con suming public will be this:
 It will have received, or have avail able in transit. approximately S3,ooo,- 900 long tons of hard coal, or about 50 per cent of a normal supply and, An unlimited supply of soft coal
 At the worst, according to. the most pessimistic, resumpnon of mining after a brief suspension will follow. Neither miner nor operator believes any sus- pension could last through the winter.
 This compares to the condition ex- isting in September of last year. when mining was resumed after live months suspension when:
 It had received approximately 2o,- 000,O00 tons in storage, transit or in dealers bins on hand when the an- 1hracite mines closed down April 1 and,
 A very limited supply of soft coal, due to the fact that the last years strike affected both sides of the indus try.
 AS near as can be ascertained, the supply of anthracite 50 far produced has been fairly evenly distributed pro rata. If last year dealer in New York or Nyack received 120 cars, this year an effort has been made to give him 10 cars month. According to the producers, the effort has been fairly successful and come what may, the system will be followed.
 The anthracite production figures quoted above probably will prove to be under, rather than over, actual figures available about Sept. IS, be- cause beginning tomorrow morning the minese will be speeded up.
 A move to increase production was made following the break in nego- tiations in Atlantic City Friday, when the largest operators wired their col fiery managers to put on every avail able man and to start up washeries idle since early spring They want all the coal they can possibly get in the month remaining before the pres ent contract expires.
 It should also be stated, prices at the mines of the so-called rail com panies and the principal independents will remain at their present level. These produce the bulk of the an- thracite.
 The smaller independents may mark up prices but this should not excuse 2 general marking up of prices by the retailer. At present there is no reason for such mark ups other than desire to gouge.
 So far this coal year, beginning April l, production is ahead of nor nal years. This year every pound of coal dug was shipped as speedily as it could be put through the breaker.
 The first three months of the cal endar year saw heavy production. In January 6,671.S22 tons were shipped, as compared with 5,740,58S in Jan uary, 1921, a normal year: in Feb ruary' 5.951,713, as compared with 6,766.1S1 in February 1921; in March 7,1S3,51S tons a figure exceed ed but two or three times in the his tory of the industry, as compared with 5,737,771 in March 1921.
 Normally such production would leave a surplus April 1. This year, however, the previous shortage and a late, cold spring prevented any &C., cGmulation.
 The beginning of the coal year on April 1, therefore, found consumers bins bare as a rule, little in retailers yards and none in storage at the mines.
 Taking the actual figures to date, and allowing 6,6Oo,ooO tons each for July and August production to Sept. l, would total 32,s72,s4s tons.
 Miners Eager to Gain
 It is certain the miners will do their best to keep the average up or exceed it. for if the operators wish to get out coal against a possible suspension, the miners wish to accumulate funds against the same contingency.
 In distribution between now and Sept. 1. two factors favor New York and other Atlantic Coast cities. One is plentitude of cars, the other is lessened demand from the Northwest.
 Representatives of the big pro- ducers and wholesalers here say that only in times of actual panic in winter has the demand for shipments been so great. The forehanded are buying coal early.