The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-26

lation.
The statement recently issued by
the board of trade. showing the produc-
ton and consumption of coal and the
number OF persons employed in coal
production In the principal countries of
the world i'm each year from 1888 to
1915, as far as the particulars can be
stated, is in many respects a document
or the greatest Importance, as it gives
an index of the state of industry in the
chief countries Of the world, which
serves to show the relative position of
Britain," says the British Trade Re-
view. The statement is, Of course,
largely made UP of tables of statistics,
into the details OF which we cannot
enter, but without doing so it will be
possible to give our readers such an
idea of Its contents that they will be
able to note some of the lessons to be
learned from them. The following is
the production of 1896 OF the most i'm
portant coal-producing countries of the
world: United Kingdom, 19j, ,361 900
tons; United States. 171.416,000 tons;
German empire, S5,690.G00 tons; France,
2S,75O,0Oo tons; Belgium 21,252, 900 tons;
Russian empire, 9,229.00O tons; Japan,
100000 tons British india 3,S4S. 900
tons; Canada, 3,743,O00 tons Australia
sia, 5,345,000 tons.
The most instructive point in the
tables, however. is the rate at which
production has increased in the vari-
Gus countries, that rate being far
greater in the United States, Germany,
Russia and Australasia than in the
United Kingdom. We will consider the
far east by itself a little further on.
If, now, we look at the comparative
cost per ton of coal at the plymouth
in the several producing countries. we
have: United Kingdom, 5s. 10Ad.
United States, 4s. 9Ad. Germany, 6s.
Id; France, SIS. SID; Belgium, IS
7Ad.; Japan. 5s., and the average in
Australasia, 6s Cd. From these figures
we see that the United States, which
was once our best customer for Goals,
comes very near to us in total output
and from the price per ton at which
they can produce they are certain to
become one OF our most, il not our
most, formidable competitors.
COST OF TRANSIT.
mo doubt the cost of transit from
the pits to the sea coast will be con-
siderable, while the rapid increase of
industries of all kinds in the United
states will create demand which will
limit the amount available for expor-
tation; still, the resources of the coun-
try are so enormous that we must ex-
pect huge quantities to be sent to
foreign countries. There will therefore
not only be increased competition in
manufactured goods, but also in the
production of coal.
I'VE have recently shown that Amer
lean competition is increasing in the
far East, and if the Philippines are
retained by the United States we may
assume that they will be used as a
basis for increasing their political and
commercial influence. What is true
of the United States is also true of
Germany and it would be well If poll
ticians recognized a little mere dis
tinctly than they do that almost all
the political movements which are go
ing on in the world have an industrial
and economic basis.
1.-THE consumption of coal per head
of population is of course found in the
highest proportion in those countries
where steam traction and machinery
worked by steam are mostly i'm use,
such as the United Kingdom, the Uni
ted States and Belgium; and the low
est in those countries where machinery
is, comparatively speaking but little
used, such as Russia and Austria. In
France the consumption of coal per
head of a population for a country SO
far advanced in civilization at first
sight appears to be very small amount
ing TO only .as of a ton per head, as
compared with 2.65 tons per head In
Belgium and 3.S2 tons per head in the
United Kingdom: but this Is account
ed for in great measure by the huge
quantity of fuel of other sorts, such as
turf wood and Ignite, which are ex-
tensively used in that country. The
British colonies where the largest
amount of coal is consumed are Cam
ada, New Zealand and the New South
Wales,where the consumption amounts
respectively to 1.26 tons, 1.19 tons and
LII tone per head of the population.
THE EASTERN TRADE.
"The most interesting and one of
the most important developments of
the coal trade is that which is taking
place in the far east. The position was
reviewed in a recent article in the
Statist, and the following was given
as the present annual coal producing
capacity of the Pacific and the far east:
British India, 4,5OO,OO0 tons; Japan,
100000 tons; Australasia, 5000 900
tons: China, Formosa, Indo- China,
Dutch East Indies. Borneo and Eastern
Siberia, 4,25O,OOO tons: British Colum-
bia 0OO 0OO TONS, Natal and TranSvaaI
(whose outputs are available for the
Indian ocean,) 1,750,00O tons; Chill,
500, 900 tons; total $4,000 900 tons; ex-
ports from the United Kingdom to
east of the Cape of Good Hope and
west of Cape Horn, 100000 tons; maxi
ing a grand total of consumption, a.
100000 tons, or say 25,O0OO0O tons.
"The future of these different sour
ces of supply is, of course, largely a
matter of speculation. One thing is
certain, that not only are many of
the markets which were formerly open
to British coal owners, now closed to
them, but in many cases the countries
which were their customers are now
competing with them. India has now
practically ceased to buy from us, and
its output is rapidly increasing. In
the article which we have mentioned
II is said: We should not be sur
prised if within the next five years,
so actively, though quietly, is the en-
terprise being prosecuted, the total is
equal to that of Japan and Australia
put together, and the Importance OF
this prospect cannot be gainsaid. In
dian coal is particularly well adapted
for steam raising, and some OF the As