Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-06-30
Is SECOND IN COAL.
UNITED STATES ALMOST LEADS
THE WORLD IN OUTPUT.
VIII Soon Have First Place-Grcat
Britain Alone Exceeds This Country
In Amount of Hard Fuel Production
Only Fourth as Exporter.

The coal production and consump-
ton Of the world during the last fiji
teen years are presented in some ia
bles just prepared by the treasury bu-
while the United Kingdom is still the
largest coal producer in the world, the
United States Is close second, and If
the present rate Of gain is continued
1t will soon become the leading coal
producing country in the world. The
coal production of the United King
dom in 1897 was 2O2,000,00O tons; that
of the United States 179,0OO,OO0 tons;
Germany, 91,000,00O; France, 100000
600; Belgium, 22,O0O,0O0; Austro-Hun-
gary, 12,000,0O0; Russia, nearly 10000
900; Australasia, nearly 100000; ia
pan, over 100000; British India,
100000; Canada, nearly 100000, and
Spain, 100000. No other country
reached 100000 tons in production.
The United States has gained much
more rapidly during the fifteen years
under consideration than has the Unit
ed Kingdom or any of the important
| coal-prOducing countries of the world
her gain during the fifteen years be-
ing over 70 per cent and that of the
United Kingdom less than "a per cent
The announcement just made by the
geological survey that the coal product
of the United States in 1898 was 219,-
| $4,000 short tons, against 226,2S7 ,00C
| for Great Britain, shows that the
| United States will soon become the
leading coal-producing nation of the
world.
AS an exporter of coal, however, the
United States takes no rank in pro-
| portion to its production, and stands
fourth in the list of coal-eXportine
countries. In 1897 the expectations oil
coal from the United Kingdom were
4S,000,000 tons; from Germany, 12,0O0,-
, coo; from Belgium, over 100000, and
from the United States little less than
100000. In 1898 the quantity ex-
ported was slightly above the 100000
tons. Australasia comes next to the
United States as coal-exporting coun-
try, her exports amounting to nearly
100000 tons, while France exported
about 100000, Japan 100000 and
Canada about 1,25O,000 tons in 1897.
France is the largest coal-importing
country, her importations in 1897 be-
ing nearly 100000, while Germany
imported 100000; Austro-Hungary,
100000; Italy, 4,25O,O0O; Canada, near
ly 100000; Belgium, nearly 5000, 0OO;
Russia, 100000; Sweden, over $780,
600; the United States, nearly 1,50O,-
900, and Australasia, 100000.
Great Britain is also the largest con-
sumner of coal in proportion to her pop
ulation, her coal consumption in 1897
being 3.s7 tons per capita; that Of Bel
GUM, 2.70 tons; the United States,
2.42; Germany, 1.5S; Canada, IL;
France, .9S; Australasia, 81; Sweden,
so; Hungary, 81; Spain, 10;
Italy, .13; Russia, 90, and Japan, OF
of a ton per capita.
According to these figures, which are
summarized from report Of the coal
production of the principal countries OF
the world, just issued by the British
government, the United States now
produces about 30 per cent Of the coal
of the world, the coal product Of the
fourteen countries enumerated in the
tables being in 1897 566,0O0,00O tons, Of
which the United States produced
100000 tons, while in 1888 she pro-
duced but u per cent of the total coal
product Of the countries enumerated.
The 1898 figures make an even more
satisfactory showing for the United
itates.