coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

RAM BULLETIN
Vol. XXX PITTSBURGH, MARCH 2, 1914 No. 7
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN:
PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY.
Copyrighted, 1914, by THE COAL TRADE COMPANY.
A. R. HAMILTON, Proprietor and Publisher,
H. J. STRAUB, Managing Editor.
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Correspondence and communications upon all matters
relating to coal or coal production are invited.
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THE COAL TUADE BULLETIN,
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rEntered at the Post Office at Pittsburgh as
-Second Class Mail Matter.]
FROM EVERY COAL TRADE CENTER in the country
comes the report of better trade and better pros­
pects in the near future for the coal industry.
This is not confined alone to distributing centers,
but large centers of consumption make similar
reports, generally through the medium oi increased
activity at the mills and factories, the whole tend­
ing to prove that the low mark has been passed
and that the market is on the up grade with a
strong steady pull. The weather may have had
considerable to do with this and undoubtedly has
had. For during the fortnight just closing there
has been some of the most severe weather of the
winter, with unusually low temperatures and bliz­
zards that kept things humming wherever they
swept. Demand has been better in all branches of
the trade, and the decrease in the number of idle
cars during the first half of the month just closed
is likely to be followed by a still larger decrease
when the figures are available for the last half
of the month.
The labor situation does not show much change,
mines' having little difficulty in getting operating
forces at this time. It is true a large number of
I lie employes are at their annual pleasant task of
legislating for the union, but this seems to have
little effect on the operation of the pits. The
wage conference at Philadelphia was another of
the meetings directly connected with the labor
side of the trade that took up the attention of the
industry, even if its results have not yet been
made apparent.
In the Pittsburgh district operations continue on
practically the same basis they were at midmonth.
with some considerable addition to demand, but
not enough to increase lories or lengthen num­
ber of days mines are in operation. Any further
increase in demand, however, will result in more
activity at mines as they aie now having all
they can do to keep up with the consumptive de­
mand. The district was hit. during* the fort­
night by some of tiie heaviest winter weather it
has had for several years, and the result has been
a decided benefit to the trade. One of the things
that is notable at this time is that the demand
is sufficiently heavy to keep up prices without the
necessity of boosting. Producers who are in the
market are having no difficulty in obtaining cant
rates for all the coal they have on tracks, and they
are not asked to shade anything on prices. The
prospects of increased activity in the iron and
steel trade has more effect in this district, per­
haps, than in any other, and as the reports uni­
formly seem good along that line, tlie coal man
has a pleasant prospect in view. With mines
running fairly steady and demand on the in­
crease, prices are held firmly at $1.30 to $1.40 for
run-of-mine coal; $1.40 to $1.50 for three-quarter
coal: $1.30 to $1.00 for inch and one quarter coal,
and 90 cents for slack.
Coke makers seem more encouraged just at this
time than they have for some months and as steel
mills ancl furnaces are operating from 70 to 75
per cent, of capaciiy, the outlook is one of promise
lor the manufacturers. The very fact that loi*
the last four weeks for which figures are available
the tonnage of the Connellsville district has been
above the three hundred thousand tons per week
mark, indicates how this upward tendency in the
trade is more than holding its own. What is
more encouraging is the fact that there is a report