Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-16
GREAT OUTPUT or COAL
Year Of 1907 vIasa Record Break.
Or for Production.
WAS BIG GAIN N PENNSYLVANIA
Illinois Resaina Second Place from
Yves. Virginia and the Latter Drops
Back to Third-klost OF Product
Consumed in This Country.


prlce-cuttine war among themselves.
which threatens to disrupt the com
bine. comes the report OF the United
States geological survey showing
That 1907 was Il recordbreaker for the
production 10 the returns received
thus far by the survey, the total pro-
duction of coal in the United States
last year was between 450, 100000 and
l6O,OoO,OO0 short tons. or an Increase
OF about 10 per cent. over the record
breaking output of 1906.
The most notable increase was
made IN the production OF Pennsylvn-
mia anthracite I'm which a gain of over
20 per cent. was recorded II the ship
ments reported by the bureaus OF an
traclte coal statistics may be ac-
cepted rs indicative of the total pro-
duction: and az the shipments
amounted to more than S5 per cent. of
the total production. such an assump-
ton Is not unreasonable. The ship
ments of anthracite in 1907 amounted
to 67.l09,393 long tons. as against 55,-
696.595 long tons In 1906. This would
indicate Il total production for the
year OF approximately 1896. 900 long
'N'''' va obOui ctsctVpVbV SlOIl tOllS.
An Interesting feature In connection
with the production of anthracite In
1907 was the lack OF any effect on the
trade from the panic which occurred
In October and continued until the
, end OF the year. Not only did the ship
ments OF anthracite continue through
ont this period practically without in
terrnptlon tat the records show that
the shipments for November were
larger than those OF any other No
vember In the history of the trade,
while those for October were the
largest recorded for any single month
In the last four years. This condi-
tion Illustrates the extent to which
, anthracite has been eliminated from
/ industrial uses and shows that prac-
tically the entire production is con-
sumed for domestic purposes.
| Another interesting feature shown
by the anthracite statistics for 1907
Is the steadying influence on the trade
of the policy adopted few years ago
! by the coal mining companies N re-
: ,'ucing prices in the summer months.
The shipments Excluding February
! OF twenty eight days) ranged from
T, 5.249.s46 long tons in January to c.
015.851 long tons In October. and the
average monthly shipments We're not
|, quite 100000 tons. These figures in
/ dictate that the mines were operated
with remarkable steadiness from
month to month and that the trans
|. nortation was also evenly distributed
throughout the year.
I HItuminous Figures Not AS Accurate,
The production of bituminous. coal
cannot be estimated as closely as that
OF anthracite. for unfortunately there
Is no such reliable method OF arriving
at the total: but letters received by
the Eurvey from number of the
larger operators and from state off,
cials indicate that the output OF btu
minops coal In 1907 exceeded that OF
the previous year by 7 to 10 per cent.
The increases were rather unevenlr
distributed and were influenced by
several causes. III the eastern states
where large quantities OF bltuminous
coal are used In business proposes, the
trade felt heavily the financial stress
OF the last three months of the year,
and locally this effect was SO pronounc-
ed that increases recorded during the
first nine months were to large ex-
tent wiped out, Had 1t not been for
this disturbance in financial circles
fhe production of bituminous coal in
1907 would probably have shown al
Increase almost comparable with the
gain In anthracite production. 1t is
almost certain that the increase
would have amounted to about Is per
cent. the total output being between
O0000.000 and 400.000000 tons. As 1t
Ia the output will probably be about
25.000,000 tons short Of that figure.
The shortage of car supply, OF
which almost constant complaint has
been heard for the last few years.
continued during the first nine months
of 1907. and owing to the demands
for and high prices paid to labor in
other lines OF industry. miners and
other workers in the bituminous coal
mining districts were scarce. After
October. however the supply of both
cars and labor was plentiful. AS COM
pared with conditions In 1906. the
transportation facilities were some
what improved. II Is probable that IL
sufficient cars could have been fur
nished to meet all the requirements
OF the producers. the output would
have been pushed far in excess Of
the demand. and the usual demoralI-
zation attendant on such q condition
would have resulted.
1t is not possible at this time 20
give definitely the order OF producing
states; but owing to the fact tina.
West Virginia was more seriously
affected by the financial furry thar
was her rival state Illinois, 1t is not
improbable that the completed statis-
tics Of production may show that IL
linois has regained the second place
(next to Pennsylvania that abe lost
In lale thrna,s. OH Ih.a S...s.az.ia..