New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-01
WORLDS COAL CONSUMPTION
NEARLY A BILLION TONS LAST YEAR
a THREEFOLD INCREASE IL
THIRTY YEARS.

Washington. Oct. 81 (specaD.-The coal produc-
iion and consumption Of the world. and especially
the United States in comparison with other coal
producing countries is the subject Of a monograph
20 appear I'm tho forthcoming issue Of the Treasury
Statistical Bureaus Summary OF Commerce and
Finance" The general demand for coal seems to
have increased rapidly in recent wears. not alone
in the United States but throughout the world
ono Of the characteristic features of modern indus
trial development has been the rise Of the coal
industry Modern society depends on coal as the
fuel and source of power. and the terms iron
age" machine age" and age Of steam may all
be translated the age of coal"
The rapidly with which the production Of coal
has increased may be appreciated when the pres
,nt volume Of that production is considered. and
when reflect In how recent a time the produc-
lion formed only a small fraction of that quantity
In 1907 tho total coal production of the world was
S66 Isj coo short tons Until as late period 1889
worlds production had never been hair SO
great being only 600 metric tons in that year,
and not until 1872 had the worlds production been
as much as a third large il is at present. BY
1861 the worlds production was only IAVo.eo
metric tons or less than % per cent of the pro-
.lucion Of 1901. The statistics of the worlds pro-
,iucton for still earlier periods cannot be deter
mined with any pretence Of accuracy out' on the
basis British statistics from 1864 and OF esu-
mates for earlier periods. and from such statistics
As are obtainable from France. Germany. Belgium
and Austria-Hungary, an approximation may be
made of the actual production. In 1860 the worlds
production of about ia O0000 metric TONS
or less than one-fth of the production of 1901 and
considerably less than the production Of either the
United States or the United Kingdom at present
Ten years earlier the worlds production amounted
to only bout s. 600 metric tons about onetenth
~ the present worlds production, and considerably
less than present output of the single State OF
Pennsylvania. In 1870 the production was much
smaller still. amounting to little over s5.o0oo00
metric tons. about one-seventeenth Of the pres
ent output. while during the three-quarters of a
century since $50. when the output about L.,
tons the production has increased about 400
per cent.
While the figures Of the worlds production prior
1864 arc necessarily defective owing TO the alb
seuce Of accurate statistics for the English and
American industry. they sufficiently indicate the I'M
1ncnse development OF the industry during the last
century. The significance Of this development can
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 combined coal output of the United
States. the United Kingdom and Germany has az,
eraGed year for about hve-siNths Of the coal
output of tho world. Possessing only tenth of
the worlds population, they have produced about
So per cent of the mineral fuel while the remain
ing 30 per cent of the worlds inhabitants have pro-
II the savage ana selnl-parbarous nauoils be usIe-
garded the immense preponderance OF coal pro-
rhis group might be added Belgium. which produces
40 Coal lci aii:,S,o
but for the fact OF its small population placing II
in the second rank OF coal producing countries.
While the continued output Of these three coun-
tries has kept pace with the production of the rest
of the world their relative position has been ma
ferialy altered. In 1865 the United Kingdom pro-
duced over three times much either the
United States Germany the output Of these
countries being approximately 81 l4l2 and 16Ia per
cent Of the worlds production respectively. In
1870 the proportion about the same. although
The United States had gained upon Germany
coal producer. BY 1873 the output of the United
Kingdom was stil considerably greater than the
combined production of the United States and Ger
many the output Of these three countries being a.
20 and IS per cent Of the worlds production. re-
spectively The next half decennial period witness
ID a remarkable increase In the American prOduc
tiOn and corresponding relative decrease in that
of Great Britain the proportions Of these countries
being &c. IS and Il per cent. respectively This in
crease maintained during the latter part Of
the past century. and in 1896 the output or Great
Britain and ireland was only "a cent. that OF
the United States already 80 per cent. and that OF
Germany 1872 per cent Of the coal production of
the world.
In 1929 for the first time, the coal production Of
the United States exceeded in quantity that Of
Great Britain. This superiority has been main
lainod for two successive years. During 1901 the
United States production greater than the
amount Of coal produced I'm Great Britain and all
her colonies. During that year the shares Of the
leading coal producing countries follows:
United States - per cent; United Kingdom, Is per
cent. and Germany. 1872 per cent. Nor Is there any
prospect that The leading position Of the United
states may be lost I'm favor of another. country
Nlthn any calculahlc future time.