The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-19

wnieh mas hCrU ~ the past coihidcfcd
an unmarketable product. the value a,
the mines OF the anthracite coal pro.
duccd in 1907 was $50 per long ton
agains, $50 IN 1900. In considering
this value per ton II should be remcm
bcred that the product upon which
this price is based includes all market,
able sizes Of coal. that oi these the
sizes below pea, such AZ buekwhcat
Nos | aud 2, rice Nos, ! and 2, and
barley are sold far below the actual
cost OF production; and tina, all prof
ts mus, be made on, OF the more
desirable sizes, such as pea, chestnut
range, egg, and furnace
The highly prosperous condition Of
the coal mining industry as a whole.
in 1907 may be Judged from the fac,
that in all but three Of the % States
tout oi 81 in which the production Of
coal in 1907 exceeded that OF 1905, the
percentage oi increase in value was
as great as or greater than the per-
ccntage Of increase in quantity. The
three exceptions were Alabama. Hi
nois, and Indiana In Alabama the
production increased s72 per cen,
aud the ,Alue OF 500 per cent; in Hi.
uois the production increased 2]72
per cent, and the value y " per cent
in Indiana the production increased
800 per cent and the value 1873 per
cent The largest percentage Of in.
crease in 1907 was made in Missouri
in which State both the output and
value showed a gain OF 81 per cen;
over that Of 1000 In Arkansas the
production increased 435 per cent and
the value ~ per cent while in Okla.
homa (Indian Territory the produc
ton increased 273 81 per cent and the
value $500 per cent
Another interesting feature in con.
nection with the eoal-mining industry
in 1907 was the establishment OF
Illinois in second place as a coai.pro.
ducnR State, It's production IN 1906
having been exceeded BY that OF
West Virginia. In 1905 illinois pro-
duccd 4l,4S0,l04 tons, and West Vir'
ginia 43,290350 tons, the latter State
becoming by this gain over Illinois
the second coal-producing State in
the Union. In 1907, however, lIlinois's
production increased 9S37,S42 tons,
to total OF Sl,3l7,l46 tons, while
West Virgina's production increased
1901 ,233 tons, to total OF 4S,09l,-
SS3 tons, thus again reversing the
positions OF two States and giving
Illinois second, place by a margin Of
},225,000 tons.
Pennsylvania continued to outrank .
all Of the other States in coal produc. i
lion, for in addition to the SS.604,3E
tons of anthracite produced in that
State in 1907, there were also l50,32l-
l37 tons Of bituminous coal, making a
otal Ct nearly 236,000,000 short tons
or Pennsylvania alone, The value
)f Pennsylvania's total coal produc.
ion-anthracite and btuminous--in
1907 was $3l9.42l 826. The value OF
he coal production Of Illinois in 1907
vas $54687 1892 The total value Of
he coal product OF these two States
Exceeded by about $l0000,000 the
'aiuc OF the total mineral product Of
he United States in 1880.
During the first nine months OF
9O7 there was the usual complaint Of
hortagc of cars, complaint which
las been heard almost constantly dur
ng the last few years There was also
much complaint Of shortage Of labor
nd OF the expensive character OF
uch labor as the operators were able
0 obtain, After October there was a
plentiful supply Of both cars and la
'or. 1t should be stated, however, in
ustice to the transportation compa
lies, that the conditions in 1907 show
d some Improvement over those Of
he preceding year, particularly with
eterencc to the manner in which the
ars were moved rather than to the
ctual increase in the supply of trans
ortation facilities.
The year 1907 may be considered a
ed-letter year in the history OF the
oal-mlning industry. In addition to y.
ne enormously increased production
nd the general advance in prices,
of peace reigned generally
1roughout the coal-lnning regions,
us being the result of the labor
greements made in 1906 after the
ispension on April1 of that wear.