The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-21
OLD pEGDF r.

product, published by the bureau OF sta
tistics of the treasury department in The
April number of the Monthly Summary
of Commerce and Finance. Expectations
of coal from the United States in the ten
months ending with April were nearly 80
per cent larger than those Of the same
months Of the preceding nseal year and 81
per cent larger than those OF the CORES
.ponding months OF 1855. while our total
production for 1898 VAS not only the lars
est in cur history but larger than that
OF any ether country In the world.
For the first lime the United States
figures show = larger production that the
British figures for the same period. The
significance Of this fact cannot be over
estimated. Goa. is row more than ever
the material energy OF a country tie
universal aid. the factor IN everything q e.
do The relative abundance or scarcity
Of coal. therefore. IS the truest index Of
eounry's position among its Industrial
rivals.
According 10 recent information steam
ers have been chartered 10 carry Goa from
America 70 st. Petersburg and Stockholm.
as well as TO Italian. French and German
ports. While thsse exports may be due
mainly to the present abnormal condi-
tons OF the British coal market there Is
no doubt that in time this country viii
be called upon TO supply an over larger
part OF the coal needed for foreign indus
trial countries. which, until recently.
; have been drawing upon the British out
put, This is the more probable since
cost Of production and prices Of coal show
falling tendency FOR this COUNT.
whereas the opposite holds true ot Emo
pearl coaI-producing countries
The rapidly with which TIRE PRODUCTION
fof coal has increased may be appreciated
when we consider the present volume u
/ that production and reflect in how recent
a time the production formed bat a very
small fraction OF that quantity. IN 1875
the total coal product Of the world was
eG40J9.09 short tons or COS 30 metric
tons. Untii as late period a 1873 the
worlds product had never been haf so
great, being then only e02 1ea,90J metric
tons. and not unn 1s8s had tha world
production been "a much as "A third as
large az II is at present. IN 1sa the
worlds product was only I5i oo0eo8 metric
tons. or less than % per cent II that Of
1896. The statistics q the worlds pro-
duction for stii earlier periods cannot be
determined with any pretease OF aceur-
acy but on the basis % the Britt sta
tstics from 1851. ana Of estimates for
earlier periods. and from such statistics
as are obtainable from France Germany.
Belgium and Autria-fIUnsary an ap-
proximation may be ma5eto The actual
production. In 1850 the worlds produc-
ton OF coal was about ~ on 90 metric
tons, or less han one-fourth az that OF
1886. and much less than that Of either the
United States or the United Kingdom %
present. Ten years earlier the words
production amounted to only about S5.o0.-
600 metric tons. or about jwo-afteeaths %
the present worlds production. and con
sIderably less tha1 the present output Of
Pennsylvania alone Ia 1870 the pr56uc-
ton was much smaller still. only about
$4,000 metric tons. or about one-thlr-
/ teenth Of the present output. while dur
ing the threequarteFs Of a century since
1920. when the output was abou, 10000
metric ,bns, the production has in-
creased $50 per cent
The production Is chiefly IN The hands %
three nations the Americans. the British
and the Germans. During the lest thirty
years, and even earlier The combined out
put Of these three countries has avcra gel
year FOR year about Gve-slxths Of the
worlds total output po=sessinr but
about 70 per cent % the worlds ropula-
don. they have produces abo1t 90 per
cent Of the mineral fue]. while ,na rerraln-
ing 70 per cent 81 the worl6's Inhabitants
have produced only ab0u, y per cent %
the coal. and. even = rrs savage AID r-si-
barbarian nations be disrsgarIse. the fu-
ue-se pBcponderarce ~ ceai production
in these countries must 10 conceded To
this group might be ADDED p xlurn. vhfch
produces and consumes more coal PEI
capita than any other country excep, the
United kingdom. bar the fact = lts small
population places g. i1 fhe sec3nI rank
q coal producing countries
three countries has KEEP racs wita the
production - ere rsst n the war11. tasif
relative pos.-len hae been watesIsi',v
altered. IN lecs tse U-nitas Kingdom pr5-
esced ever ihree ,iases So rsueh ~ ether
me Uri 20 States er Cerraay. gre one
PIT u these crr-frs-s being ayr-axs-
massiy q fnz sns 1Ts ger eeaf ~ the
TeTif's produetiea. respectively uv rs-s
tas oufout - ere United E.~faa zss
stif c9nafss-9bF greater fran tse en-
bsnsf outr~f - ths Vfn<ea stster aef
csrrnsoy. thel- - 1n - - f5af b.
inE s1t pep eeal seti-esg.
TIE reNf Aaif-seoeaaz7 aer1 witnessed
q renark1als sner aae ir -he kners-r-
p-sd1ci as5 -s.Hr eaffae g.
crease T. taat - Great Brl.sio tas re-