The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-08-02
COAL IS KING. ).
How tile Worlds Output Compares
With That of Other Products.

An official of the British home Office, DR..
Neve Foster, has compiled the mineral statis-
tics of the world for the year 1900. This was
done with the aid OF government reports from
almost all the civilized countries. In fact, he
states that he was able to obtain government
figures from about all the principal countries
TO make up the figures for these four countries
he was obliged to estimates which he him
self could take from books, pamphlets and
newspapers published in these countries in re-
gard to their mineral industries According to
his figures, some 4, As, 900 persons and employed
throughout the world in mines, quarres and
other mineral industries, and of this number
nearly 1,000,0 G0 belong to the United Kingdom,
WHILE If the British colonies are included, the
British empire has upward of ], 500, 600 workers,
number exceeding that reported for any other
nation. Germany came second with about
33, O0O laborers, with the United States in the:
third place, with just over half million,
though DR.. Foster points out that in this coun-
try machinery is used to greater extent than
in any other.
According to his estimates the quantity of
minerals raised throughout the world in 1900
was as follows: 49,
Coal Observation-Disclosures. 767, $50, 204 tons
iron 4O,4ZI, $50 tons
Petroleum ,le, ,ooO tons
oalt ...... 4Z,otZ,Oto tonS
Fine silver. bS74,2 S4 kilos
Lead 1877 ,S41 tons
copper oo455o tons
zinc - 44oSIS Tons
Fine gold :. 1913, lD6 knos
Tin Northumberland. 80,64S tons
OF the coal the British empire produces more
than any other nation, her output being almost
PAS, 600 GOO tons. The United States raised some
245, OO0, 600 tons. This was more than was
mined In the United Kingdom, and, as may
be seen, only q little less than was mined in
the entire British empire. Germany is the
third nation mining about i 100. 000, 600 tons,
while Anstrfas Hungary, which ranks fourth.
yDrodnceds soalys some q, coo, 600 tons The
United States and Great Bfitain produced.
therefore, very considerably more than half
the total Of all the coal mined in the world.
Taking all the colonies together, the British
gold output was the largest in the world,
lss491 kilos out Of the total OF 39s,19s or
about 386 tons. Great Britain also produces
half much tin as do all other nations, while
the United States is far In the lead in the
production of copper, iron, lead and zinc.
E The Glasgow Herald, In commenting on this
report. finds much satisfaction in DR.. Fosters
figures regarding the safety of coal miners
Deaths from accidents in coal mines all over
the world during 1860 amounted to 1912, and
z of these 933 occurred in the United Kingdom
and 4. IA in the British empire. Ehe best way
to figure this is the death rate by accident per
thousand for all persons employed in the coal
mines. This was 192 for the world and only.
s1.29 for the United Kingdom. Belgium shows
the lowest rate of all, LOS, while Bosnia and
Herzegovina head the death rate list with 1885,
Figures for the United States are given as
800 and for Germany at 2.19. Although the
greater use Of machinery m the American
mines may make the work more hazardous,
there would seem to be no good reason why
our accident rate should be so much higher
than that of Germany or Great Britain, par
ttcularly with 30 many deep mines In the latter
country. But when the enormous total Of coal
mined in 1900 lis considered, the total number
OF deaths by accident is not large. In fact
rather surprisingly low.-Boston Herald