Evening star., 1924-04-01
COAL OUTPUT SEEN
HELD TO DEMAND
Possible Restricted Produc-
tion May Curtail Supply
100000 Tons Daily.
, Special Dispatch to The Star.

Especial Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April IA new coal
year started today, with every indica-
ton that production will be held
closely TO demand. This probably
will mean n curtailment of tonnage
of about 100000 tons a week at the
bituminous mines as compared with
last year. The situation today is far
| different in the coal industry than in
previous years. April l, 1922, saw the
beginning of u great bituminous
strike. On the corresponding date last
year both the anthracite and bituminous
situations were far from settled.
Labor in LonE-Term Agreement.
This year, however, the signing of
! long-term wage agreements has re-
moved the threat of labor disturb
| anceg in the industry. AS Conse-
quence Industrial consumers are
using UP their reserve stocks and the
market is apathctic. on April 1 the
new contracts for tonnage go into
! effect. Few such contracts have been
, MADE this year. AS result, as the
+! mines finished their old orders, they
| have curtailed production or smut
| down altogether.
1t is estimated that mines shipping
! by rail in the Pittsburgh district are
! producing only at the rate or 30 per
| cent of capacity. Those shipping by
river boat show little effect, since in
most instances their output goes to
/ steel plants and kindred industries
The check to production naturally
! has come first to the high-cost mines.
! The non union fields. where wages
/ are running around $3.50 a day, have
/ not been so affected as the union
! mines. where the scale is fixed some
! 50 higher. Some of the opera tors IN
! the central Pennsylvania fields, who
! have just renewed their present wage
! agreement for three years, predict
! their mines Will be forced 70 close
! entirely. They say they cannot com
( pete with non-union mines when de-
mand is light
Demand for slack Light.
| In the Pittsburgh district the de
! mand for slack is very light. Yet
! this grade must be produced If lump
1 coal is to be provided. This has aid
. ed TO maintain the firmness OF lump
/ since the operators hguTe tha' run
! of-the- mine coal must bring IN AT
least So ton on the average TO en-
able them 10 operate. Slack is now
down TO \$l to Sl10 ton for steam
grade. The effect of shipments to
+ the north and west by the grea.
+ lakes may cause some lmproNemehl
; in the situation but this has not
made IT'S appearance yet
Anthracite Coal Price Cut.
A number Of large anthracite oper-
ators, including the Delaware, Lacka-
: wanna and Western Coal Company
the Lrhigh Wilkes Barre Coal Com-
! many and Williams & Peers. affiliated
! with the Erie interests, together with
: several independent producers, today
. nut into effect a cut Of so cents ton
I 10 stimulate demand for the large
2 nT
I other producers are expected to take
! similar action soon.
one of the large distributors here
! followed Immediately with reduc-
tion of 20 cents in retail prices al :
fpcting both domestic and steam sizes.
Dealers and railroad men say some
thing is necessary to make this coal
! move. since demand is slow and no
I threat Of labor trouble now hangs
over the market.