The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-13

siderable economy had been achieved
in some directions, natural physical
and other features had increased the
cost of working coal in Great Britain
Similar conditions would probably
more or less apply to the German coal
field and elsewhere in Europe-the cost
of production in these countries would
have a tendency also to increase slow
ly. In the case of Germany, our main
European competitor, the railway and
canal rates for minerals were much
below per ton per mile the rates pre-
vailing in this country, and therefore
there was not the margin for future re-
ductions in these rates which ought to
exist in Great Britain, where the rail-
ways are not as yet the property of the
state. The coal fields of the United
States were twenty times the original
areas of the British, and already the
cost of producing coal in America was
below the cost of raising coal in Great
Britain.
THE annual production in the states
was proceeding in leaps and bounds.
In 1883 it was 102, SOS 900 TONS in 1890 it
was 40, $4,000 tons and in 1896 it was
171416,000 tons. Leonard Courtney
contended that less American costs
would be permanently operative, and
the difference in favor of America was
likely to increase. Probably this was
so in some degree, but the immediate
cause of the discrepancy in favor of
| the States as against Great Britain
| was due chiefly to the enormous extent
of the American coal fields, making it
practicable to work very large annual
| quantities from those areas near the
| outCrop by free drainage levels, with
| out pumping or winding. In fact the
| States, as regarded their facilities for
raising coal Cheaply, were much in the
position Great Britain was fifty or
| sixty years ago.
| OUTPUT IN THE STATES.
| "If the coal output of the United
| States continued to increase in the
present ratio, the time would arrive,
no doubt, when shafts must be sunk
| to considerable depths, and pumping
and winding resorted to, thereby in
| Creasing the average cost and bring
ing the natural conditions in that coun-
| try more in line with those which pre-
| vailed in this country. The enormous
extent of Outcrop in the American
fields would, however, enable that ma
ton to maintain probably for many
| centuries comparatively low cost of
| working.
by the cheaper capital cost Of the
| American railays and better applica-
| tion of the rolling stock for mineral
traffic, such as wagons carrying a very
much larger proportion of profit load
to dead weight and long leads, United
States railways were able to convey
coal at about one-quarter the cost per
ton per mile for which the best and
most economically worked of the Eng
lish railways now undertook to con-
| Vey minerals in this country. 1t as
| true that, in regard to the item Of
dead weight, railways could also in
| this country considerably reduce their
cost by increasing the size of the min
eral wagon.
There existed other, and possibly
more serious, competitors even than
| America which might ultimately shut
| out the whole of the Eastern markets
for manufactureS-he meant China
| and FOrmosa. In China enormous coaI
fields were believed to exist. contain
ing Goals of the best qualities, and
only requiring capital, development in
railways, and docks and manufactures
to enable it to become the greatest OF
their future competitors and to develop
and extraordinary source of wealth.
FORMOSA COAL FIELDS.
THE extremely low cost of labor
would alone probably handicap the
Western nations to an extent which a
present could not be measured, ant
whether the period when this competi
tiOn would be seriously felt was distan
or imminent, the fact itself of thes,
coal fields existing in a country
densely populated by a clever and in
dustriOus race should enforce the les
son to Great Britain Of setting he
house in order The argument Nigh
be even stronger as regards the Goa
fields of FOrmosa under Japanese rule
of which less was known, but Wher,
probably coal could be found near sea
boards, and in a parallel position "a
regarded facilities for export, to ou
on coal deposits
summarizing the position, som
| portion of the increased future cost O
working our coal fields could ant
would be met by improved mechanical
appliances in winding, hauling pump
! ing and in cutting thin seams, and b,
mining skill in improved ventilation
| lighting, checking the increase Of TEN
| perature due to depth, raising large
quantities from each shaft, and a par
tial readjustment of the cost of labo
and royalties. The last named wer
already in process of being dealt wit
when the conditions required it, bu
there would still remain a GROWN
margin of increased cost which coul
not be dealt with either by the me
chanical or mining engineer"