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GOAL TRADE BULLETIN
Vol. XXV PITTSBURGH, OCTOBER 2, 1911 No. 9
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN:
PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY.
Copyrighted, 1911, by THE COAL TKADE COMPANY.
A. R. HAMILTON, Proprietor and Publisher,
H. J. STRAUE, Managing Editor.
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR
FIFTEEN CENTS A COPY
Correspondence and communications upon all matters
relating to coal or coal production are Invited.
All communications and remittances to
THE COAL TRADE COMPANY,
926-930 PAKK BUILDING, PITTSBUBOH.
Long Distance Telephone 250 Grant.
[Entered at the Post Office at Pittsburgh as
Second Class Mall Matter.]
CONTINUED LARGE PRODUCTION OF COAT, IN HIE BITU­
MINOUS FIELDS marks the approach of the cooler
weather, but despite this condition and a steady
absorption of tonnage that has been going on,
there is not the upward trend of prices the pro­
ducing companies would like to see. Operators,
however, are standing pat, and are refusing to
enter into contracts beyond the first of the year
at present card prices, which is the most hopeful
sign in the trade, indicative of an expectation that
there will be a decided advance in prices about
that time.
From all sections of the country come the re­
ports of increased consumption of fuel as cold
weather draws nearer. Some of these reports
show the increase to be intermittent while others
speak of a steady growth. One section reports
the growth in steam coal, while another shows it
to be wholly domestic fuel that has the call. Head
of lake distributing points are away ahead of last
year in tonnage figures, even if they do not report
any betterment in the way of better price figures.
With less than 2 per cent, of railroad equip­
ment idle and this amount steadily dwindling,
the outlook for a shortage in the near future al­
most is one of certainty. Already railroads are
notifying shippers that certain kinds of cars are
"out of stock" and advising them to use other
kinds. This is partly due to the gradual replace­
ment of the small wooden cars by the big steel
ones, but as many of the roads still have thou­
sands of the wooden cars in service, the notifi­
cation that they cannot supply this class of equip­
ment certainly means growing scarcity of idle
rolling stock
Lake trade shows a steady movement, with pros­
pects, that, by the time navigation closes, a total
tonnage in excess of 1910 will have gone forward
to head of lake ports, thus in a manner bearing out
the reports of a heavier demand in the Northwest.
There has been some congestion of vessels at the
head of the lakes during the fortnight, but this
practically has disappeared and some coal in addi­
tion to contract tonnage is again on the move.
In the Pittsburgh district mines are doing just
about what they were at the opening of Septem­
ber save those shipping by river; they being more
active due to the fact that empty craft have been
brought into the Pittsburgh harbor and taken to
the mines, thereby furnishing reason for more
steady operation. In the all rail mines 80 per
cent, of capacity is probably the extent of opera­
tion and this meets the demand. Here, like al­
most all other districts, if capacity tonnage was
produced it would mean a piling up of coal in
storage until demurrage would force its sale to
prevent further loss. As it is with approximately
four-fifths of capacity being produced, slack 'coal
is somewhat of a drug on the market witli a con­
sequent shading in price on the part of the smaller
companies who cannot afford to hold it for better
figures. Pittsburgh operatois are to a certain
extent among those who refuse to consider contracts
beyond the end of the year at present prices, and
are looking for better things. Prices are held
generally firm at $1.25 to $1.35 for run-of-mine
coal; $1.35 to $1.45 for three-quarter coal; $1.45 to
$1.55 for inch and one-quarter coal; with 75 to 85
cents prevailing figures for slack.
After taking something of a slump during the
middle of last month, the coke trade once more