Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-05-27
CONCERNING COAL.
Statistical Information on Produc.
ton and Consumption.
Immense Output of European COun-
tries-The Product OF the United
States Almost Equals That OF
the United Kingdom.

An interesting report has just been
issued by the London board of trade
containing o wealth of statistics as to
the coal industry of the world. 1t is
pointed out that the country OF Europe
which has the largest production, after
the United Kingdom, is Germany. The
quantity produced, however, in the
latter country does not amount to half
of what is at present produced in the
United Kingdom, the respective figures
for 1895 being, the United Kingdom 1884,
661, 1000 and the German empire 70,l69,-
600 tons. Next in point of production
after Germany comes France, with a.
$4,000 tons, or about third OF the pro-
duction of Germany, while next again
comes Belgium, where the amount Of
production is not very far behind that
of France. The average value of the
coal produced taken at the pits mouth
has compared very closely as regards
the United Kingdom and Germany for
several years past, being, in the United
Kingdom, in 1892, Is sgd; in 1903, 6s
Old, and in 1894, 6s Sd, and in Germany,
in 1892, rs 41kd; in 1898, Cs Sd, and in
1894, 6s nd. In 1895, however, the value
of the coal produced in Germany rose
for the first time since 1857 distinctly
above the price of British coal, the
average price in England in 1895 being
Gs 0Hd, and in Germany 6s 0Ad. In 1887
the price of coal in England was Is o%d,
and in Germany IS 1%d. In France it
will be observed that the average value
at the pits mouth was, in 1893, 9s 224d;
in 1894, os Oh d, and in 1898, SIS 1od, while
in Belgium it was, in 1898, rs sgd; in
1894, IS Sgd, and in 1895, Is 6a4d. The
cost of production, certainly iii France,
and probably in Belgium also, is placed
considerably higher than it is either
in The United Kingdom or in Germany.
It is desirable, however, to compare
the output in European countries with
one other country-namcly, the United
States. In the latter country the guam
tity OF coal produced has in recent years
increased distinctively and indeed in the
year Of 1893 it almost equaled the out
output Of the United Kingdom, while
the year of 1898 it almost equaled the
Their increase, although the total output
has not equaled that of the United
Kingdom, which, since 1898, has been
very large In the earlier years dealt
with in the tables, viz, 1885, the aver
age output of the United States was
100000 tons; in the later years, 1893
05, itaveraged1G2, goo, 0OOtons. The aver
age output of the United Kingdom dur
ing the latter period was 100000
tons. During the same period the cost
of production of coal in the United
States, which in 1855 was 6s Cd, fell
in the years 1895 to IS, or lower than
the cost at the pits mouth in either the
United Kingdom or Germany.
As regards the consumption of coal
per head of population, as might be en-
pccted, the highest proportion is found
in those countries where steam traction
and machinery worked by steam are
mostly in use, such as the United King
dom, the United States and Belgium,
and the lowest in those coun tries where
steam traction is, comparatively speak
ing, but little used such as Russia and
Austria. In France the consumption