Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-24
IRON AND COAL.
The Coal and Iron Products of the World
Some Valuable and Interesting Figures.

1kUN AMI COAI.
The COni and Iron Products of the World
Some Valuable and Interesting Figures.
NJ. Gruher's report on the coal and
iron industries of the world, which has
lately appeared in France, is docu-
ment evincing laborious research, and
one which, to the student of political
economy and to the statiscian, cannot
but De of the highest practical utility.
The author was member of the Inter
national Jury ut the Vienna Exposition,
and it has been his object to compare
the conditions of the two great indus
tries as existing in 1873 with their state
at the time Of the French Exposition in
1867. While we cannot follow the de-
tails of the long report, there are, new
ertheless, many general results and con-
illusions which will prove both instruc-
tive and interesting.
M. Gruher estimates the entire fuel
production of the world at $50 900, 900
tons, and he calls attention to the fact
that the value of the mineral combusti-
BILE annually consumed largely exceeds
that of the ores mined. In England,
in 1871, the total coal yield was valued-
Tin round numbers, which for converts
ence sake we shall use throughout thi
article) at $92, 100000 while that of all
other mineral products, including re-
fractory clays, marine salt, phosphorites,
etc, did not exceed 1852, 900. In
Germany and France the same excess in
favor OF coal also appears. TIN oughout
| the entire world during 1872, the
anthor places the value of all the min
erals but fuel mined at $500, 100000 Of
the fuel at $500, 100000, or nearly
double
Referring to the English coal produc-
ton the author states that, for the
forty years from 1881 to 1871, the ratio
of increase has been from one to six.
The present rate of production per ork-
man IS about 800 tons per annum in
England, 220in Prussia, 159 in France,
and 157 In Belgium. It is believed that
these figures will never exceed 800 tons
in England, and 100 in France and
Belgium, SO that, estimating by the
present English yearly increase IN fuel
mined, III the year 1910 fully 100000
men will be actively engaged in the in
dustry. This is hardly possible, since
the above number of workip gmen sup
port population five times greater,
and for this aggregate to be maintained
by single industry there must be a
corresponding increase in all the other
branches of English labor. Hence,
from the nature of things,a maximum of
coal production must be eventually
reached. Regarding the final exhaus-
ton of the English mines, the author
,>lo tho1e 1r,ro - TEO
The aggregate production of $50, OOO,-
600 tons IN 1872 is made up by the vari-
Gus countries In the world contributing
as follows: Great Britain, 10000, 900;
Omitted States, 40,OOO,OOO; Germany,
40, 600, 0eO; France, 100000; Belgi-
UNI, Is, OOO, 900; Austria and Hungary,
10,OO0, 900; Spain, 100000; Russia,
500, 900; and English colonies, China
Chill and Japan, 100000. It is be-
lleved that within thirty years the Amer
lean coal production will exceed that of
England; but the indefinite Increase of
the yield, it is thought, will be prevent
ed by the absence Of corresponding
increase In the demand, in the same
manner as in Great Britain.
After thus dealing with coal, the subject
of iron is discussed, and the value OF it's
ores stated to exceed that of all those of
other minerals save gold. At a mini
mum, the annual value is placed at
SIC, OO0, 600, Or 81 per ton on the aggre-
gate extraction OF 1872. From the S.
600, 900 tons then mined, 14,OOO,O 900
were made in cast iron, $4,000 into
rolled or forged iron, and 1000, 900 into
homogeneous iron and steel. On com
pairing these figures with those given
for 1865, the iron production is shown
to have become still more rapidly devel-
oped than that of coal. In seven years
the coal yield increased from to 1875,
while that of iron increased from to
IA. The steel manufacture has tripled
in the same period.