The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-01-01

WSSM been the rise of the coal in
NY dustry. Modern society
relies upon coal as the fuel
and urce of power, and the terms
"iron age" machine age" and 'age
of steam" may all be translated the
"age Of coal"
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 1901 the total
coal production of the world was $780,
165, 900 short tons or 7s5, $50, 900 metric
tons. Until as late a period as 1883
the worlds production had never been
half so great, being only 450,990,0 900
short tons in that year, and not until
1872 had the worlds production been
as much as a third as large as it
is at present. By 1864 the worlds
production was only 174,000, 900
metric tons, or less than % per
cent. of the production of 1896. The
statistics of the worlds produc-
tion for still earlier periods can
o be determined with any pretense
of accuracy; but on the basis of the
British statistics from 1854, of esti-
mates for earlier periods, and from
such statistics as are obtainable from
France, Germany, Belgium, and Aus
tria-Hungary, an approximation may
be made to the actual production. In
1860 the worlds production of coal
was about 142, 900 1000 long OF 144;Ooo;-
600 metric tons, or less than one-fifth
of the production of 1901, and consid-
erably less than the production of
either the United States or the United
Kingdom at present. Tenyears earlier
the worlds production amounted to
only about SO, 900, 900 metric tons, about
one-tenth of the present worlds pro-
duction and considerably less than the
present output of the single state of
Pennsylvania. In 1910 the production
was much smaller still, amounting to
little over $4,000, 900 metric tons, or
about one-seyenTeenth of the present
output, while during the three-quarters
of a century since 1920, when the out
put was but 17,000,0o0, the production
has increased but about 4,500 per
cent.
The production of coal is chiefly
in the hands of three nations, the
British, the Americans and the Ger
mans. During the last 30 years, and
even earlier, the combined coal out
put of these three countries, the
United Kingdom, the United States
and Germany, has averaged year for
year about five-sixths of the coal
output of the world. Possess
ing but a tenth of the popula-
ton of the world, they have pro-
duced about SO per cent. of the min
eral fuel while the remaining 90
per cent. of the worlds inhabitants
have produced only about II per cent
Of the coal, and ever if the savage
and semibarbarous nations be dis
regarded, the immense preponder-
ance of coal production in these
countries must be conceded. To this
group might be added Belgium, which
produces and consumes more coal
per capita than any other European
country except the United Kingdom,
but for the fact of its small populo-
ton placing it in the second rank of
c~oal-producing countries.
While the continued output of
these three countries has kept pace
with the production of the rest of
the world, their relative position has
been materially altered. In 1868 the
United Kingdom produced over three
times as much as either the United
States or Germany, the output of
these countries being approximately
SO, 14h and 1914 per cent. of the
worlds production, respectively. In
1870 the proportion was about tie
same, although the United States had
gained upon Germany as a coal pro-
Queer. BY 1875 the output of the
United Kingdom was still consider
ably greater than the combined pro-
duction of the United States and
Germany, the output of these three
countries forming As, 20 and IS per
cent. of the worlds production, re-