The San Francisco call., 1906-10-09
GREAT COAL BEDS
ENRICH JAPAN.
Commercial World Begins to
Fear for Supremacy in
Trade in the Orient
CHEAP FUEL THE KEY

Fears of Japanese commercial su-
premacy In the Far East have received
a great impetus in the recent discovery
of the fact that Japanese coal is ex-
pelling English coal from China, the
East Indies and India and competing
with Australian coal throughout the
Pacific. A great many OF the fears ex-
pressed for the future Of Far Eastern
trade may be fanciful, but this Is one
that is at the present day real. Com
mercial supremacy depends to a large
extent on the control of the coal sup
ply of a country.
Manchuria and China have immense
coal beds, and recent article In the
Tour du Monde OF Paris shows not only
that Japan herself is rich in coal, but
that her infant coal trade is already
beginning to justify the fears expressed
by a large part of the commercial
world. Before 1890 the total amount of
coal mined in Japan varied between
100000 and 100000 tons year.
But suddenly vigorous development
was given this industry and the coal
mines followed the immense strides
made by Japanese trade and commerce
in general. The mines were fitted out
with new machinery connections were
made with the railroads and in 1902 the
total amount of coal mined was $780,
900 tons. At first so per cent, then So
per cent of this total was consumed in
the home country and the rest export
ed, and the same proportion Is true for
today.
DRIVE OUT ENGLISH COAL.
In 1887 Japan exported coal to the
value of ss,s00.000. In 1890 the ex-
portation was $3.400.000 and in 1892
japanese coal had supplanted English
coal In most Eastern markets from the
north of China to Singapore, although
England had previously been the only
country which furnished coal to- this
~section. At Hongkong, where 100000
tons are consumed annually, only Aus
tralian coal and that from Tonkin can
compete with the Japanese article, and
the same is true for Singapore, where
japanese coal costs only $3.25 a ton as
compared with IS for English.
Toward the East Japanese coal goes
as far as San Francisco, competing
with Australian coal. In 1893 the jap
anese took advantage of the great min
ing strike in England to strengthen
themselves in India, where Japanese
coal costs half as much as English
coal, and since that time the japanese
coal trade has constantly increased
The expectation of coal in 1897 was
s5,9o0,000, in 1901 $4,000, 900, in 1904 the
amount, $6.750.000. was small because
OF the war. The Japanese now have
control of the markets in the Philip
pines, Hawaii, Indo-China, China, Ko-
rea, Siberia and portions Of the western
coast of America.
PRICES HIGHER IN JAPAN.
The price of japanese coal, however
has increased of late In 1895 it was
possible to obtain good coal at 50 a
ton. but since that time the price has
gone as high as So
The islands in which the japanese
coal fields are found are Kyushu (the
most southern of Japan), with twelve
coal fields; Nippon (the central island
and largest of aIl), with five beds, and
Yezo (the most northern), with -four
coal centers. In the Kyushu mines the
coal Is very fat and has great heating
power, the best-known coal comina
from the Mike mine. This mine has
capacity of $1,000 tons a month and
is situated In the west OF the island.
There are also found on the island Of
Kyushu mines of anthracite, but not III
large quantities. This island, however
furnishes three-fourths of the JAP
anese coal, and consequently the Goa
ports are the most important in japan
The five mining districts OF the island
of Nippon all produce anthracite. tn,
island of Yezo only bituminous, but OF
very hard variety.-Chicago Chron.
icle