The daily gazette., 1879-07-17
The British Coal RreAueess

The British Coal RroAuetsst a-e--v
The British inspectors Of. mines, isvry
year publish an Important report giving
all manner of ofimformation respecting the
yield of the mines in the United King
dom, the chief article o. which Ii the
output Of coal. The latest report, Just
published Is volume of 525 pages, giving
the returns for 1878. The law rtquires
annual returns of the production Of coal
and other mines to be made TO the inspec-
tors by the LIST of February Of the sue
ceeding year. The returns collected and
tabulated in those reports by the Nine
Inspectors show that the production Of
coal in the United Kingdom during 1873
was 132, ,612 ,063 tons, being /, ,607, 800 t0nB
less than that of1S77; Of iron ore (nro'
duced In the mlnes classed under the
Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1O,710,z ri
tons, or Q decrease of 1867 ,129 tons ~
1877; and on fire clay / 1926 ,586 tons Les
than the output OF the previous year,
The total decline has been only 3,A8.122
tons a backward movement which b
much smaller than the depressed condi-
ton of British industry led the public 70
expect. A few years ago, when the pro-
duction of the British coal mines WAS a.
certained to be 125, ,OOO, 900 tons, the con-
sumption Of tho iron trade was calcuia-
ted to be 40 ,0O0, 900 tons. or practically =
third of the whole. Since then the
British iron trade has greatly limited ID
demands, partly because depression to
which it has been SO conspicuous mar
tyr and partly owing to tbs share which
decays effacing finger" has been reduc-
ing the manufacture Of finished or NAL
leable iron, which has been 30 largely
superseded by steel. The reduced con-
sumption of coal in the manufacture 81
iron is, indeed, of itself more than
enough to account for the decline Of .
million and half tons in the B.itsh coal
output Of 1873. ti
The total British exports Of coal for
1873 we're l5,483,000 tons, but 10000 tons
over 1877, while in the London metro
politan consumption of 1873 the increass
reached 176, 900 tons over 1877. There 10
in coal shipped for the use of steamers
engaged in the foreign trade, which IN
1878 reached 4,018, 600 tons, as against
1861 200 tons in 1877. The London Times,
in commenting on these figures, says 1t
is remarkable tribute to the stability
and soundness of Epgland's position - :
manufacturing people that in the severest
and most protracted industrial critIs the
world has ever known they should COM
tinue to consume, within the four cor
ners of the United Kingdom and in the
shipping trade together, more than .
hundred and thirtaen million tons Of
coal-a consumption exceeding the
tries of Europe. II Is not less remarka-
BILE than when Germany, France,
America and other nallons are doing
their utmost not only to exclude Eng
land from her own, but to beat her In
neutral markets, her coal exports should
the past year. While in 1872 the iron
trade consumed 40,0OO, 900 tons of csaI,
the Times thinks that in 1878 1t lid not
take more than two-thirds that amount.
The railways, manufactures, chemical,
copper aud shipbuilding trades, gas,
water and other works, with the domes-
tic consumption, which in 1872 took &, =
600 900 tons of coal are now estimated TO
take 81, ,000, 900 tons annually. The meth
ods of consuming coal have been greatly
changing. The Bessimer and open hearth
process of steel manufacture are reducing
the demand for coal in the iron trades,
The export trade in British coal is also
changing. The Times says that the coun-
tries that have heretofore been EnRland's
greatest and best customers are now
learning to rely upon themselves. Hith-
erto Germany and Frence have unitedlv
taken full third of the British exporn
of coal. But in both of these countries
there has recently been a very consider
able development of mining enterprise.
tending to the Limitation of the demand
for English, coal. Hence England ex-
ported to Germany In 1878 800 600 tons
less coal than in 1875, while the exports
to France within the same time declined
to the extent Of 100000 tons. In both
countries the output OF coal has been in
creasing, whi-e that of England has de-
clined. -
France in 1873 produced II, ,Oc6 900 tons
OF coal, or 1000 tens more than the
output of 1877. Germany has withIn re-
cent years extended her own means Of
supply in ratio unapproached by any
other country In Europe, the Westpha-
ton within a remarkably short period:
and not only are exports Of English coal
thus discounted. but England has also TO =
face German competition in almost
every other European country. It ia
true that the export coal trade of Ger
many Is only as yet third of the Eng
lively more rapid rate. Germany now
supp lies Holland wi about 2,OO0, 600
tons OF coal per annum, where England
only supplies 100000 tons; and in the
markets ofSwltzerland, Austria and even
France the one country runs the other 3
hard race. But other export markets
are coming in to supply the place OF
those that are lost. The Russian market
has grown in Importance year by year,
taking from England IN 1873 1,21l 600
tons OF coal, as compared with only 226,-
600 tons obtained from the more oeopra-
phically well situated coal fields Of Ger
many. Turkey also is increasing her de-
mands, and will in few years be a yerv
large consumer. To Malta, British IN
dia. Brazil and Egypt, England sends
coal in increasing Quantities, and other
markets further off, and now apparently
of but small consequence, will year bv
year fill up the places vacated BY those
customers who have learned to supply
themselves. The Tames felicitates The
trade upon the fact, however, that
where other things are even, the British
coal always secures the preferences, and
itsees nothing in the out look to cause
any dependency.