Evening journal., 1900-01-11
LARGER COAL MARKETS
INCREASED FOREIGN DEMAND
FOR THE PRODUCTS OF AMERI-
CAN MINES.

CAN MINES.
Almost simultaneously two reports
came to the United States from Europe,
one from England that there was an
enhanced price following the shortage
Ia the supply Of coal in England, and
the other from Genoa that the first
cargo of American coal had reached
that famous but imperfectly warmed
city, says the New York Sun. Italy,
in which the dearth Of coal Is almost
universal and an obstacle to Industrial
development, imports each year, chiefly
from England, coal to the value of go
100000 lire, or S1S.000000. the con-
sumption of coal to the inhabitant In
that country being only two hundred
weights a year, as against fifteen in
France. twenty-eight in Germany, thir-
ty-six in the United States, forty-fyo
in Belgium and seyenty-five in Eng
land. In Italy, as in Spain and other
Mediterranean countries, the shortage
of coal is to a very considerable extent
made up by the use of firewood and
charcoal.
1t has long been a theory, accepted
/ by many persons as almost worthy to
be considered a business axiom. that
those countries which are short Of coal
can have their interests served better
/ by importing manufactured articles
rather than by importing the coal and
manufacturing the articles at home
But the enlargement of the market Of
coal supply which has been going on
rapidly of recent years. Cf which the
shipment Of American coal to Italy is
recent illustration. would seem to
disprove this view OF the case and the
Treasury figures for the period ending
May 1899, indicate the expansion of
the foreign market for American coal,
which is likely to be still further in
lcreased by the shortage Of the present
coal supply in England, the increased
demands upon Il, and the dearth Of la
lbor and the increase in the standard of
lpay for English miners consequent
lupon the withdrawal of so large e num-
her Of workers from the ordinary fields
of industry for participation in the
South African war. Durlr the ten
corresponding months ending May /,
1857, the shipments Of American coal
Ito foreign countries we're $500 600 tons.
In The ten minths ending MAY /. 1898,
they We're 100000 tons, and IN the
ten months ending May /. 1892 they
were 100000 tons, OF which Canada,
Mexico Cuba and South America were
the chief markets.
It is noticeable that while a few
years ago the exports of American coal
we're almost equally divided between
anthracite and bituminous, the in
crease recently has been almost exclu-
sively in bituminous or soft coal, OF
which the American supply Is practi-
lcally unlimited and Of which the out
lput I'm the whole country Is three times
as great as the output Of hard coal
There has. within a year, been a very
marked increase in the shipments OF
local TO England, and there is a regular
leervice of vessels carrying coal from
the United States to that country The
lother European countries, exclusive Of
Germany and Belgium, which have Goa
IN abundance. and France, which &.
able TO supply the demands Of its whole
market tothe extent Of nearly two-thirdi
6mporting one-third from England
Peieium and Germany offer opportu
mites TO American shippers which
would not have seemed very promisin.
few years ago.
The cost OF mining coal gu the Unite
states is steadily decrea sing. The in
troduction OF improved machinery has
added much to the value Of the labor
Of each miner. The cost of transport
ling coal by rail has been steadily re
euced. so that 1t is now far below ever
the minimum figures Of previous years
the eeaboard rate per ton per mile
on one OF the great American coal
carving roads having been 2is mill
last year. There has been. moreover
n considerable If not equally large
lreauctlon in the exnanses OF oceaI
REPRESENTATION. and under these cir
lourostances It must seem clear that tn
lexnectati0n Of good markets for Aver
con real q countries now imperfectl'
supnlied OF GETTING coal from Fne'an'
or Ce-rrauv is we'll founded. end tina
the early shipments to Genoa are bu
fo~erunners OF the evranded trade i
p line IN which the United States hav'
I uniivalled advantages.