The bee., 1906-10-18
THURSDAY. OCTOBER is. 1900.
PRODUCTION OF COAL
In 1905 Surpasses all Previous Re-
cords in the United States.

Both in quantity and value, the
production of coal ia 1905 surpassed
all previous records In the history
of the United States. The output ac-
cording to forthcoming report OF
MIR. Edward w. Parker, statlstican
of the United States Geological Sur
yey, amounted to 392, ,9l9,34l short
tons, which had value at the
mines Of s476,756,963. Compared
with 1904, when the production
amounted to 35l .8l6,396 short tons,
valued at $444 ,37l ,02l, the output in
1905 exhibits an increase of Al, ,lO2,-
943 short tons, or ILL., per cent in
quantity, and of $32 1886, ,942 or 7.S per
cent in value. Prior to 1905 the
maximum output of coal was OBJ
taiued In 1908, when the production
amounted to 357,356.4l6 short tons,
valued at $503, ,924 .38l, compared
with which the record for 1905 shows
an increase in production of 35. 562,-
925 short tons, and of S26.967 AIS.
The high value recorded in the
statistics for 1908 was due to the
somewhat abnormal initiation Of
prices, caused by the shortage of
fuel supplies, which resulted from
the strike in the anthracite region
of Pennsylvania in the preceding
year. The lower values in 1904 as
compared with 1908 were simply a
return to normal conditions, but the
decline In 1906 was the result of a
production in excess of market re-
quirements, unusually large as they
were.
OF the total production in 1906, &c.
339, ,l52 long tons equivalent to IT,
1850 short tons) were Pennsyl-
vania anthracite, with a value at
the mines of $l4l $1,000 The total
production of bitumInous coal and
Ignite was 3l5,259,49 short tons,
valued at 1894 ,877, 1858. The pro-
duction of anthracite coal in Penn
sylvania In 1906 was 4,020,662 long
tons (or 4,503,l6l short tons) more
than that eff 1904, while the increase
in the production of bituminoIs coal
and Ignite was 36,699,882 short tons
A portion of these increases in both
anthracite and bituminous produc-
ton was due to the efforts of opera
ting companies to provide a supply
of fuel in anticipation of suspen.
sion of mining In April, 1906, wheh
the wage scale agreements in the
organized coal producing States ano
the award of the Strike Commission
in the anthracite region of Pennsyl
vania would terminate.
1t is fact worthy of note that the
total increase in the production Oi
coal In the United States in 1906
over 1904 was larger than the pro
duction of France in 1904, or of any
other foreign country except Grea
Britain, Germany and AustriaHun
gary, and was almost equal to the
production OF Austria Hungary. The
total production of this country las
year was neariy 60 per cent largel
than that OF Great Britain, which
until 1899 was the leading cOal-pro
ducing country of the world, anC
was more than double that o
Germany. Another Interesting fac
presented in the statistics of th'
production of coal in the UniteC
States is that in each decade th'
output has been practically doubled
The larger part of the increased
production in 1906 was due to thu
great activity in the iron Industry
as is shown by the fact that th'
amount of coal made into coke in
creased from 81, ,278,637 short tons t.
42,412,328 short tons, and that th'
larger increases we're IN the State
that produce coking coal and thos'
which furnish fuel to the lrol
furnaces.
Pithy Points for Pondering People.