Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-11-06
DIGS MOST COAL
UNCLE SAM OUTSKIRTS BOTH
GERMANY AND GREAT
BRITAIN.
STATISTICS TELL THE STORY
GREAT INCREASES MADE IN PRO-
DUcTioN OF COAL IN LAST
CENTURY.
IN HANDS OF THREE NATIONS
PRODUCE ABOUT SO PER CENT
OF THE WORLDS MIN.
ERAL FUEL.

Washington. Nov. /. - The coal produce
tion and consumption Of the world, and
especially OF the United States, in COM
parison with other coal-produc:ng coun-
tries, Is the subject of monograph
which will appear in the forthcoming is
sue of the monthly summary of COM
merca and finance, issued by the treas
ury 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 One of the most
characteristic features of modern indus
trlal development has been the rise of
the coal industry. Modern society relies
upon coal as the fuel and source of pow
er, and the terms Iron age" machine
age and age of steam" may all be
translated the "age of COAL"
The rapidity with which the production
OF coal has increased may be appreciated
when the present volume of that produce
llon is considered and when we reflect in
now recent a time the production formed
t put very cry small fraction of that quant-
world was $3.50, 10000 short tons. Until
as late period as 1888 the worlds pro-
aiuctlon had never been half so great. be-
ing only 4O,09O.Ooo metric tons in that
year; and not until 1872 had the worlds
production been
Az Much as n Third
as large as it is at present. BY 1864 the
WORLDS production was only 174Ooo,oo0
the production of 1901. The statistics of
the. worlds production for stll earlier
periods cannot be determined with any
p Pre- ps,,s Of accuracy but on the basis of
estimates for earlier periods, and from
S SNl statistics as are obtainable from
france, Germany, Belgium and Austria
hungary, an approximation may be made
vi the actual production,
IN 1870 the worlds production of coal
Vas was about l44,QooOoo metric tons, or less
1901, and considerably less than the pro-
duction Of either the United States or the
United KINGDOM at present. Ten years
to only about $4,000. 600 metric tons, about
one-tenth of the present worlds produce
tlon and considerably less than the pres
ent output Of the single State of Pennsyl-
vania. In 1S40 the production was much
smaller still, amounting to little over A.
oon,OU metric tons, or about one-sevcn-
teenth of the present output, while during
issO when the output was about 10000
COO tons, the production has increased
About 1880 Per Cent.
While the figures for the worlds pro-
auction prior to 1864 are necessarily de-
fective, owing to the absence of accurat e
statistics for the English and American
industry they sufficiently indicate the
immense INN development OF the industry dur
N.AS AeASS SC1llu1S. llc SiSniIlCdnCG OIL
this development cannot be overlooked.
The production of coal is chiefly in the
hands of three nations, the British, the
American and the German. During the
combined coal output of the United King
dom and Germany has averaged, year for
YEAR, about fiTe-sixths of the coal output
Of the world.
Possessing but a tenth of the worlds
population, they have produced about S.
per cent Of the mineral fuel, while the re-
n <Nf$
ltants have produced only about II per
cent of the coal. and even if the savage
and semi-barbarous nations be disregard
ed, the immense preponderance of coal
production in these countries must be con-
ceded. 10 this group might be added Bel
GUM, which produces and consumes more
country except the United Kingdom, but
for the fact of it's small proportion plac-
ing it in the second rank of coal-produc-
ing countries.
three countries has kept pace with the
production of the rest of the world. their
position has been materially altered In
1868 the United Kingdom produced over
three times as much either the United
States or Germany. the output of these
countries. being approximately 80, 14,s and
l61s per cent Of the worlds production, re-
spectively. In 1870 the proportion was
about the same, although the United
States had
Gained Upon Germany
as a coal producer. BY 1915 the output of
the United Kingdom was still consider
ably greater than the combined prod,lc-
ton of the United States and Germany,
the output of these three countries being
45. 20 and 1S per cent of the worlds pro-
duction, respectively. The next half
decennial period witnessed remarkable
increase IN the American production and
a corresponding relative decrease in that
of Great Britain, the proportion of these
countrit S being &C. % and II per cent, re-
spectvely. This increase was maintained
during the latter part Of the past century.
and in 1896 the output of Great Britain
and Ireland was only 81 per cent. thai of
the United Statt S 30 per cent and that Of
Germany 1872 per cent of the coal produce
ton Of the world
In 1899, for the first time. the ccal pro-.
duction of the United States exceed 4 in
quantity that of Great Britain. This SUI
pcriorty has been maintained for two sue
cessve years. During 1901 the I'm led
States production was greater than the
amount of coal produced in Great Britain
and all her colonies. During hat wear TIN
shares Of the leading coal-producinS co,ln-
tries We're as follows:
United States. "A per cent: T'nitsd King
dom. 2e per cent: and CT rmany. 1872 per
cent Nor IS there any D"os"ect that tho
leading position of tine United States may
be lest in favor Of no'her country with II
any calculable future time