COAL - Clpdigital.org

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It is announced that Chief Roderick, of the department
of mines, is in favor of an amendment
to the miners' certificate law that will make the
members of the miners' examining boards employes
of the state, paid for their services instead
of receiving a fee from each certificate issued, as
is the case at present. It is believed that by this
method the temptation to issue certificates for the
sake of fees would be eliminated, and as the certificates
would be issued by the state and with the
state seal attached, there would be less liability of
their being counterfeited. This method would also
make somebody responsible for the issuance of the
certificates.
The Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Co., a Pennsyl­
vania corporation, operating mines in Blair, Cambria
and Indiana counties, has filed a bill in equity
asking the court to restrain the Pennsylvania Coal
& Coke Co., of Pittsburgh, a corporation of the
District of Columbia, from using its name. It is
set forth that the defendant company has issued
a circular to the public which, it is averred, was
done for the purpose of attracting buyers for its
capital and advertising its business, wherein it
refers to itself as "The Pennsylvania Coal & Coke
Co." An injunction is asked restraining the defendant
from using the plaintiff's name.
It is expected that the Truesdale breaker of the
D., L. & W. will be completed about the middle
of July. This new breaker will have a normal
capacitv of l.uOO tons a day, and under pressure
will be able to handle 5.000 tons, which is probably
a greater capacity than that of any other
breaker in the anthracite region. It is located
below Wilkesbarre, on a 5,000-acre tract of undeveloped
coal land, and is probably the first of two
or three breakers to be erected on the property.
It is announced that eastern capitalists who
about a year ago purchased 2,000 acres of coal
land at Manitou. Ky., a point on the Providence
branch of the Louisville & Nashville railroad about
six miles west of Madisonville, are preparing to
develop their holdings at an early date. It is
planned to open a mine that will be one of the
largest producers in that part of the state.
The formal organization of the Consolidated Indiana
Coal Co., formed recently by Rock Island-
Frisco interests, with a capital of $4,t/.„,00li. has
been completed with Robert Mather, president;
Carl Scholz, vice-president; G. H. Crosly, secretary
and treasurer; H. G. Rhodes, general sales
manager, and H. S. Mikesell, general auditor.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
The Bessemer Coal Iron & Land Co., of birming-
ham, Ala., has purchased the holdings of the
Windrock Coal & Coke Co., consisting of some
2.500 acres of land near Windrock, Anderson
county, Tenn. Mines with a daily output of about
1,000 tons are in operation on the property, which
is located on the Cow Creek branch of the Louis­
ville & Nashville railroad.
The statement of operations of the Alabama
Consolidated Coal Co., made at the meeting of
directors in New York, showed net earnings for
the six months ending April 30, 1905, of $336,743.
Alter setting aside all fixed charges and dividends
on the preferred stock these figures indicate net
earnings at the rate of about 20 per cent, on the
common stock.
De§ds were executed at Charleston, W. Va., re­
cently liy which the Forks Coal Co. came into
possession of 11,012 acres of coal land, the greater
part of which is located in Kanawha county. In
addition, the company has secured mineral rights
to 1,801 acres in the same district.
Announcement is made of the appointment of
Hunter W. Fincn & Co.. Chicago, and the Powhatan
Coal Co., Toledo, O.. as sales agents of the
Pittsburgh-Buffalo Co. in the territory east of Chicago
and west of a line running north and south
through Columbus, Ohio.
Near Bellaire, O, on June 8, a miscreant exploded
a stick of dynamite under a hoisting en­
gine at the new steel tipple of the Youghiogheny
& Ohio Coal Co., completely obliterating the tipple
and destroying much adjacent property.
Welsh Miners Dissatisfied.
The figures in the British national budget statement
in regard to the coal tax are unsatisfactory
to the Welsh miners. In 1904 the Bristol channel
ports paid nearly $5,000,000 in coal tax. This
duty has already driven Swansea, Llanelly and
Port Talbot coal from several of the French markets.
The exports from Cardiff and Newport,
though not showing an actual decrease, have
grown at a far slower pace than they did before
the imposition of the tax, and where Wales has
lost, Germany has gained. This is one of the
penalties of the Boer war, and it was thought that
the duty would be removed or modified this year—
hence the disappointment. The coal trade of the
country has been fairly satisfactory for some
time, but it could have been, owing to the superior
quality of the semi-bituminous coal, far
better had it not been handicapped by what is
regarded as the unfair shilling per ton duty.