The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-10-31
Production Has Led That of
Great Britain Two Success
slve YearS-VaSt Increase
in Use IF the Fuel.
Total Quantity. Mined in 1920
About 100000 Tons, OF
! Per Cent OF the Present
866,000,000.

The coal production and consumption
OF the world. and especially Of the
URited States in comparison with other
producing countries. IS the subject
OF a monograph which VIII appear in the
forthcoming issue Of the Monthly sum
mary Of Commerce and Finance" issued +
by the Treasury Bureau Of Statistics.
The general demand for coal seems
TO have Increased very rapidly in recent /
years. not alone in the United States,
but throughout the world" a bulletin
Of the Treasury says. "One OF the most
characteristic features Of modern indus
trial development has been the rise Of
the coal industry. Modern society relies
upon coal as the fuel and source OF pow
ct, and the terms iron age, machine
age and age of steam may all be
translated the ,sge OF coal
me rapidity with which the produc-
ton Of coal has increased may be ap-
precia;ed when the present volume OF
that production is considered, and when
we reflect in how recent a tins the pro
dUction formed but very small fraction
Of that quantity. In 1901 the total coal
production of the world was 500. I65. 600
short tens. Until as late a period as
1889 the worlds production had never
been half so great, being only 49,, 99O, 600
metric IONS in that year; and not until
1872 had the worlds production been as
much as third as large as it IS at
present By 1854 the worlds production
was only IA, 100000 metric tons. or less
than % per cent Of the production Of
1901.
Early Production.
The statistics OF the worlds produc-
lion forasuu earlier periods cannot be
determined with any pretense OF accu-
racr, but on the bases OF the British
statistics from 1854. and Of estimates
d Tor earlier periods, and from such sta
tistics as are oh:ainabIe from France.
Germany, Belgium, and Austria Hun
gary, an approxim alton may be made of
he actual production. In 1850 the worlds
production Of coal was about IA 000. 600
metric tons, or less than one ffth of the
production OF 1891, and considerably less
ethan the production Of either the United
states OF the United Kingdom at pres
ent
Ten years earlier the worlds pro-
duedon amounted TO only about 49,
100000 metric tons, about one-tenth Of
the present worlds production. and con
siderably less than the present output
of the single state Of Pennsylvania In
1910 the production WAS much smaller
still, amounting 10 little over 5000. 600
metric tons, or about one-seventeeatn
OF the present output, while during the
three-quarters of a century since 1929,
when the output vas about 1900. coo
tons. the production has increased about
$500 per cent.
While the figures for the worlds pro
ducdon prior to 1864 are necessarily de-
feetive, owing to the absence OF accu-
rate statistics for the English and amer
lean industry, they sufficiently indicate
the immense development OF the indus
try during the last century. The signiH-
canoe OF this development cannot De
overlooked.
The Chief Producers
The production Of coal is chiefly in
the hands OF three nations-the British,
the American, and the German During
the last thirty years and even earlier.
the eomb11ad coal output OF the United
States. the United Kingdom, and Ger
many has averaged, year for year, about
fve-sixths Of the coal output of the
world.
Possessing but tenth Of the WORLDS
population, they have produced about
g per cent Of the mineral fuel, while
the remaining go per cent Of the worlds
inhabitants have produced only about
Il per cent Of the coal. and even If the
savage and semi-barbaroUs nations be
disregarded, the immense pTep0ndeT-