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GOAL TRADE BULLETIN.
Vol. XIII. PITTSBURGH, PA., OCTOBER 2, 1005. No. 9.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN:
PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH.
Copyrighted by THE COAL TRADE COMPANY, 1905.
A. R. HAMILTON, Proprietor and Publisher,
H. J. STRAUB, Managing Editor.
SUBSCRIPTION, - - - - $2.00 A YEAR.
Correspondence and communications upon all matters
relating to coal or coai production are invited.
Ail communications and remittances to
THK COAL TKADE COMPANY.
926-930 PARK BUILDING, PITTSBURGH, PA.
Long Distance Telephone 250 Grant.
[Entered at the Post Office at Pittsburgh, Pa., as
Second Class Mail Matter.]
ANTHRACITE TONNAGE REPORTS SHOW that the out­ years would have been a maximum. There has
put to September 1 was 42,431,849 tons in 1903. been a demand for their coal, and they have mined
It was 38.212,588 tons in 1904, and 40,304,835 tons an enormous quantity of it. so that the period from
in 1905. The tonnage is keeping pace with the the resumption of work in the mines down to the
requirements of the market, and it is a feature present time has been the most profitable that the
of especial value in this that the coal as mined operators ever enjoyed.
goes into the yards of dealers and the cellars of
It should not be forgotten that there were many
consumers. The tonnage for the next four
years when demand for anthracite fell short of
months will surely equal that of recent years for
supply; that prices were low in the market and
a similar period, and expert estimates of the
for coal company shares as well; that for twenty-
yearly growth and this year's total will be found
eight years Reading shareholders did not get a
to be correct. There is no change in prices at dividend. How long did Lehigh Valley owners
all likely to be made between now and next April, go without? The advance in the price of these
not by the large producing interests at least, in and other anthracite shares accompanied a re­
spite of all that has been said; in the event of organization of the methods of conducting the
any strike the price will be kept at the circular. anthracite trade. The companies got together in
as it was in 1902. One does not need to pay much 1896, and, instead of cutting each other's and their
attention to the reports of big stocks on hand held own throats, have conducted their business on
by the corporations, for they have not had the well-understood and approved principles. The
opportunity of making any great accumulation. president's commission gave the miners much.
There has been a considerable tonnage of the Whatever modifications are proposed should be
steam sizes stored as a preparation against idle­ carefully weighed before the arrangement is dis­
ness, and to avoid putting too much tonnage on
an unwilling market, and that has been a very
wise movement in every way, for with business
activity it would be folly to be unable to attend
to the needs of the customers for anthracite
steam sizes.
The commission appointed by President Roose­
velt fixed a base price, below' which coal has not
been sold; this meant a steadiness to prices over
what had previously ruled and at the same time
gave the men an increase in wages for every
advance above this basis price—which is low for
one month in the year only. The operators them­
selves have reason to lie glad over the result of
the last strike. Since then they have main­
tained a level of prices for their product, adopting
as a minimum a price that in some of the earlier
rupted.