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38 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
duction of coal at the least possible cost in order
that profit on investment may lie assured. Cheap
fuel means that millions of tons of coal are wasted
annually by being left in tbe ground with no way
to recover it in the future. Cheap fuel means
that as a nation we are lending our aid to the
reckless sacrifice of human life and a foolish waste
of our fuel resources.
There is a remedy, but people must first understand
the necessity for doing something to pro­
tect the lives of the miners and conserve the re­
sources of tbe country. Those who are connected
with the mining industry should work for the
establishment of a minimum standard in the sell­
ing price of coal. This may be construed to be
a movement in restraint of trade, but what is for
the good of the nation should receive the encouragement
of all the people. In a future article I
shall have something to say about the remedy.
GERMAN COAL INVADES CARDIFF MARKETS
IN EUROPE AND SOUTH AMERICA.
U. S. Consul Lorin A. Lathrop. stationed at Cardiff,
Wales, reports the increasing loss of markets
to Cardiff through the incessant labor troubles in
South Wales coal fields.
Eager agents of the Westphalian Coal Syndicate
have been pushing German coals in every port in
the Mediterranean, and have even succeeded in getting
one cargo at least into Buenos Aires. These
are markets which have been exclusively supplied
from Britain and principally from South Wales.
The Germans have now. however, secured so firm
a foothold that a Cardiff journal admits that "years
of commercial nursing" will be necessary to re­
cover the lost ground. "In a number of cases."
continues the journal, "the trade will never be regained."
The half year 1911, as compared with the first
six months of 1910, shows thus an increase of
considerably over 1,500,000 tons. Almost all of
this increase represents a displacement of British
coal. Unofficial estimates of German shipments
for July, 1911, indicate the enormous increase
over the corresponding month of 1910 of nearly
800,000 tons. Nothing could more clearly illustrate
the extraordinary energy and quickness of
the Germans in taking advantage of an opening.
The question of freight is doubtless a handicap to
the United States, but it is bard to understand
why the favorable conditions should not have been
taken advantage of by American exporters. German
coal, too, has had to surmount an obstacle
thought usually to be fatal to coal shipments—distance
from tidewater. Their port of shipment is
Rotterdam.
• PERTINENT PARAGRAPHS •
The sales department of the O'Gara Coal Co..
Chicago, has been redistributing the work of its
selling force owing to the constantly growing
pressure upon it. Thomas S. Jones has, in addi­
tion to his duties as treasurer, taken charge of
the general sales end, J. R. McFarland, assistant
sales manager, now devoting his entire time to
the disposal of the output of the Harrisburg
mines. J. H. Moran is in charge of the sales
force in the balance of the Illinois field. E. H.
Irwin, well known to the trade, has been placed
in charge of the detail work of the selling department.
Effective October 15 a radical change will be
made in the freight depot organization of the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad in Connellsville. Pa. A
separate coal and coke billing agency will be estab­
lished, with offices at the scales, in the upper yards.
The local agency and the coal and coke shipments
both have been in charge of W. H. Towzey.
It is reported that the Reading, which for some
time past has been drilling near its West Shenandoah
colliery, trying to locate the Mammoth vein
and the Seven-foot vein, has been successful in
both instances. The Mammoth vein was found to
be 25 feet thick at that point, while the Seven-foot
vein proved to be full size.
The coal rate for the last trip and winter storage
from Cleveland, O., to the Canadian head of
the lakes has been fixed at 60 cents and a number
of big carriers have been chartered at that
figure. More capacity is wanted and some more
tonnage will probably be lined up before the close
of navigation.
The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co. has ben at
work laying a branch road to an immense culm
bank in the very heart of Lansford, Pa., and it is
the intention of the company to remove it as
soon as possible. The ground is valuable and
will give room for scores of dwellings.
Chief of the Department of Mines J. E. Roderick
of Pennsylvania held a conference ou Oct. 4 at
Altoona, Pa., with the mine inspectors of the
bituminous district of Central Pennsylvania. The
inspectors took up and discussed matters pertinent
to their work in this field.
The annual meeting of the New York State retailers
usually held in Albany in October is being
looked forward to with pleasant anticipation by
the members who had such a fine time last year
under the auspices of the Schenectady coal dealers.