THE COAL TRADE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 57, 6 March 1873, Page 4

THE COAL TRADE.

{From a London Paper .) The history of the coal trade, like that of nations, is evidently capable of repeating itself. In January, 1853, coal. began to rise in price, and in, tbe course of twelve months the rise was as roucb as 62 per eent. At the same time the wages of tbe miners went up, but in a very dispropor- 4 tionate ratio, tbe effect of three advances in the rate of wages being only 30 per cent on tbe rate previously existing. The effect on tbe coal industry was twofold. Tbe masters proceeded to extend tbeir works, and new collieries were started, the high price of coal serving to bring more capital into the trade. But while the masters desired to increase the productiveness of tbeir mines, tbe men sought to keep up prices by restricting tbe supply. It has been stated tbat at tbis period the men had a rule which required that a man should leave off working as soon as his labor for the day would bring him four shillings. In some cases it is said tbat men complied with this rule by comiDg out of the pit at eleven in tbe morning having gone in at six. The old story of 1853 has now been repeated in 1872. Tbe public have been told about pitmen striking for wages, working short hours, and so forth. But the truth has been gradually oozing out, and it bas been lately told in a very lucid and precise manner. A firm in the neighborhood of Wigan being taken as an example, it is found tbat their price for coal exhibits an advance ranging between 130 and 230 per cent, in less than a year, while wages of the colliers have only risen 40 per cent. Thus the masters have not merely repeated the experiment of 1853, but have immensely improved upon it. The men on the present occasion have gained lOd per ton, while the masters have gained 8s 2d. Concerniug the men we hear the „ame story as that of twenty years ago. The union delegates told the men to get less coal until the stocks at the pit's mouth were disposed - of, and in the , next place to ask for an advance of wages. These orders, it is said, were strictly carried out, and the innocent public, " acting under the belief tbat tbe meu were idling, rushed into the market and made larger purchases than usual." The scheme worked admirably. The men virtually played into the hands of tbe masters, aud the public paid accordingly. Now* we hear of enormous pronts accruing to the ingenious coal owners. For every rise of ten per cent, to the men, equal to less than 3d. per toe, the masters have pocketed 2s. 6d. Hence one small proprietor has cleared £100,000 in tbe year, the annual profits have risen from £28,000 to £120,000, another company has cleared all its capital in two years, and sundry private firms are reckoned to bave netted each from £200,000 to £600,000 within the last twelve months. When we remember the check given to manufacturing industry by this rise in tbe price of coal, and the gen eral, disoiigani sation of the, labor market which haß resulted from the same causes, we , are not surprised that some rather strong langauge should be used on this subject. /The " coat,rig " is denounced as " the^giteaiesV swindle of 'mSdern'tim'eV 1 ' As might be expected, there are those who think tWkeita' -."little --'tcio"** severe. Tliere is no "swindle, " we are told; that it is tnereljr'* the action ofepefsons who get the best price they can for the article they have-tpys-e^^ , understand "the * action M / a little more distinctly ion a/ future occasion, .an^ywill /tipt sjdbmit/to ; be seared out of such heaps :; of ' gold/' aB j ,haye / gonej toy make; : ; np;: r; the }&emin&^ ,eoionomißfsyw t bo:y;;uo P^^ilit^*YYY

.;. i. i ..——». -- — -———__„ . — — — mn — ' ■ ■ ' i " * Lord Kimberley, in the.; speech he! at the Telegraphic Banquet, paid New Zealand a , high compliment. lie said : — "Look a,t New Zealand. Ido not believe that in the whole -history of England will be found anexample of Englishmen who bave met tbe difficulties that stood in their way more manfully, or have settled them with greater success ; nothing could have ; been attended with happier results than the policy, of the New ZealandMinistry towards the. native chiefs during: the year. (Cheers). The Government of that colony have fully understood their situation ; tbey bave manfully dealt with their difficulties ; , and the way in which they have surmounted .them is a .proof -that; we have laid the foundation "of their lasting prosperity and progress. I honor the spirit they have shown — (hear, hear) — and more so because they now pursue their course without murmuring,: and I hope they now acknowledge that tbeir position is superior to anything in tbe past; is now more consolidated, and hopefully encouraging with respect to the future. I have made this reference to New Zealand, feeling assured that no colony has shown a greater spirit, and determination to overcome its difficulties." A Barber, while cutting the hair of a rural - customer, ran his scissors against some hard substance, which proved to be a whetßtone. The old farmer said he "had missed that whetstone ever since haying-time last July, and had looked over a ten-acre field for it, but now remembered sticking it up over his ear." One of our late American exchanges says : — We are not able to keep correct account of the many new and splendid church buildings erected here. We are preached to by a large number of eloquent, pious, and well-paid priests and ministers. Christianity is spreading cheeringly in our midst, and we are also doing something towards the proselytising of the heathen abroad. Civilisation is proud of our city as her fairest daughter; the Church and the State vie with each other in encomiums upon our splendid progress. It may be somewhat irrelevant to add that there are some eight or ten murderers in our gaol, four of whom are boys under the age of eighteen: and that if any of them should be convicted, we are likely to grant tbeni a new trial. /How English Laborers Live. — The I following letter recently appeared ia the London Times: — -Sir,— lf the following balance-sheet will help one-half of ihe world to know in any degree how some of the other half live, its details may possibly be as worthy the space which they will occupy as a balance-sheet of some huge bankruptcy which you occasionally publish. My informant is the wife of a laborer in my parish. She is a permanent invalid, unable to earn a penny in any way, but a thoroughly clever manager. Were it not for her illness the two items of weekly charity would, of course, have no place in the list. The details themselves have been more than once challenged by public officers and others, and have always been passed as scrupulously correct. There were, when I got the information, six children, the, eldest aged 14. . Their united earnings for the year amounted to £2 15s. Income per week. — Husband's day wages, 135.6d; wife* allowed by a friend Is; parish allowance of flour, 2s; total, 16s 6d. Outgoings per week.-rßent, 2s; 7 gallons of flour, 7s; l 21b of Dutch cheese, ls 3d; lib of butter^ ls 4d; |lb of soap, 2d; soda and blue, Id; salt and pepperj |d; 1 Jib of candles, 10^d;* 2oz of tea, 4d; 21b of sugar, 7d; school-, ing, 7d; cotton,. mustard, &c, 3d; /milk 1 ; 3^d; washing, Is; mangling, Id; total, 15s 10|d. Extra earnings, per annum.— Hop-picking (daughter), £1; acorns picked up, 15s; hop tying £1; five, days' harvest, over and above day wages, £1 ss; hop drying, over and above day wages, £3 ,6s; mowing, over and above day wages^ £2; profit on two pigs, £I.— -Total £10 6s. Add yearly ; income, , £42 18s. — Grand total, £53 4s. Extra outgoings per annum. --Benefit club, £1; daughter's benefit club,' 4s 4d; daughter's boots, 12s ; , husband's, boots, 12s; five children-scoots, , £i lOs; faggots, £2; /extra food /for Jiusband in hop drying, 10s; husband's clothes, £1|; ; tools, 7s.— £B. 4s; 'add yearly outgings, £4-1 5s 6d — total, £49 9a 6d— -and there is a balance of £3 14s 6d per annum for; coals and meat, and ior clothing for the • wife; aiad: 'childreti. The margin for wet day-' ind* drinlr for is; not iarge.~AN : East^Sussex lNq.umENr.-rr-* NovennVef-I6'^ •" /,: ' ; ' ■ s '"•'"'' ': md y '/ Y* 'V**'*- ' ticket "CoilecVor Id QWXf} ' : WhaVa|*e/ are you; -mademoiselle ?." ']' \" Seven ' pearls' when in the f tra ! ini aiid yten ' wKeii a_ home." .; '-_S_* ' futditure^; inan;,. is '''siftid;;;t6"';.b#' f the" laziest^mpmber ./of Y society^because, he, .keepj^ An undertaker's office' recently bore this c^eecfjil J 6siption;>oft ! 'j tlje^rflq t-dqp- :-j^. ''Gone for a dead man^baok Boon;" 4 /Conclusive )■ Ee^lyJ^S-id^ Mr^;CSntw_ft : to hia :^ciergymatiiZwKo~ha^ relish' for hypocririy ;^Ho^ oan ;l96#t, ?helfto'**ref6r__? :; tl]^ :nlng^ wltlr : yourswf.'? l y'^ , '\Y YiYty :za ■ M^^^^^^^ZA:XZZA ,: Z' : .z:-AZ ! yAy^: