Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-10
COAL TRADE.

i -.
The remarkable increase in coal ex-
portations from the United States
coupled with the fact that we became
in 1899 the worlds largest producer
of coal, gives special interest to an
elaborate discussion of the worlds coal
product. published by the bureau of
statistics of the treasury department
in the April number of the Monthly
Summary of Commerce & Finance. En-
portations of coal from the United
States in the ten months ending with
April We're nearly so per cent larger
than those of the same months of the
preceding fiscal year and so per cent
larger than those of the corresponding
months of 1898. while our total produc-
tion for 1898 was not only the largest
in our history but larger than that
OF any other country in the world.
For the first time the United States
figures show larger production than
the British figures for the same period.
The significance of this fact cannot be
over-estimated. Coal is now more than
ever ''the material energy of a coun-
try, the universal aid, the factor in ev-
erything we do" The relative abun-
dance or scarcity of coal, therefore, is
the truest index of country's posi-
ton among it's industrial rivals. Ac-
cording to recent information steamers
have been chartered to carry coal from
America to ST. Petersburg and Stock
holm, as well as to italian, French and
German ports. While these exports
may be due mainly to the present alb
normal conditions of the British coal
market, there is no doubt that in time
this country will be called upon to sup
ply an over larger part of the coal
needed by foreign industrial countries,
which, until recently, have been draw
ing upon the British output. This is
the more probable since cost of pro-
ductiop and prices of coal show fall
ing tendency for this country, where
as the opposite holds true of European
coal-producing countries.
The rapidity with which the produc-
ton of coal has increased may be app
preciated when we consider the pres
ent volume of that production and re-
fleet in how recent a time the produc-
ton formed but a very small fraction
of that quantity. In 1896 the total coal
VI lASI WOIlo was
short tons or 604,000,00O metric tons.
Until as late a period as 1876 the
worlds product had never been half
so great, being then only 202,OOO,0OO
metric tons, and not until 1868 had
the worlds production been as much
as third as large as it is at present.
In 1864 the worlds product, was only
174,0OO, 900 metric tons. or less than
20 per cent of that of 1896. The sta
tistics of the worlds production for
still earlier periods can not be deter
mined with any pretense of accuracy;
but on the basis of the British statis-
ties from 1854, and of estimates for
earlier periods and from such statis-
tics as are obtainable from France, Ger
many, Belgium and Austria-Hungary,
an approximation may be made to the
actual production. In 1860 the world S
production of coal was about 144.OOO.-
600 metric tons, or less than fourth
that of 1895 and much less than that of
either the United States of the United
Kingdom at present. Ten years earli-
er the worlds production amounted to
only about s3,0oo.ooO metric tons, or
about two-ffteenths of the present
worlds production and considerably
less than the present output of Penn
8sylyania alone. In 1910 the production
was much smaller still. but about 49,
100000 metric tons, or about one-thir-
tenth Of the present output, while
during the three-quarters of century
since 1920 when the output was about
17,000,000 metric tons, the production
has increased $500 per cent.
The production is chiefly in the
hands of three nations, the Americans,
the British and the Germans. During
the last thirty years and even earlier,
tho combined output of these three
countries has averaged year for year
about fve-sixths of the worlds total
output. Possessing but about 10 per
cent of the worlds population, they
have produced about 80 per cent of the
mineral fuel, while the remaining 80
per cent of the worlds Inhabitants
have produced only about II per cent
of the coal, and even if the savage and
semi-harbarous nations be disregarded,
the immense preponderance of coal
production in these countries must be
conceded. To this group might be add
: ed Belgium, which produces and con-
sllmes more coal per capita than any
other country except in the United
Kingdom, but for the fact of its small