Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-12
MINING, BUSINESS AND STOCKS.
GREAT PRODUCTION
OF COAL LAST YEAR
Tic Tonnage Heavier Than ANY Pre-.
'ious Year Excepting 1907
Net Returns Lower.

The total production Of coal in the
United States In 1905 was ts.stg aps
short tons. having a SPOT valve 81 tsaa.
elAlid according 10 a report issued by
tho L. s. geological survey. department
OF tho Interior The report. which was
prepared by Edward w. Parker, gives
lhe anthracite production M 81 2os 75i
tons, valued at sl6s.t7sS4s and tho bi-
luminous AZ 332.513.e4f tons having "A
spot value u i874 1876. 2G2
Notwithstanding the year was one Of
general depression in the Industry the
production exceeded that Of any pre-
vious year with the sole exception Of
1907. Compared with 1907. the produc-
ton Of 1908 showed decrease OF A. 500
~ snort tons or la.t5 per cent. and Of
NS-,tsitSl or - ~ per cent IN value
The decrease In the Pennsylvania an
thracite production was but 2.73 per
cent IA quantity and SO per cent In
value. In bituminOus the decrease was
l5.7b per cent In quantity and l7.OS per
cent IN value.
The comparatively small decrease In
the percentage OF value was due In
part 10 the necessity OF maintaining
prices. In most Of the important pro-
ducing states operations are carried
w hhhfi agreement Win TIE United
Mine Workers OF America. and as there
was no cut In wages the relative cost Of
production remained the same IN 1905
as In 1907 Another reason for the
slight falling Of was the fact that on
account Of trade conditions consumers
we're more eNacting in their demands
than in the previous year when oper-
ators were able to market practically
an Of the coal they could mine. In 1908
a larger percentage OF slack and other
saleable coal was thrown on the dumps
than In 1907. SO that the returns to the
operators were considerably less thun
appears IN the record
INCREASE IN THREE STATES.
OF the 30 coal producing states aud
territories. only three California. Ore
gon and Texas, noted increases in pro-
duction. The hrst two Increases were
unimportant In Texas. the increase
was due I'm part to the continued de-
crease in petroleum production. the
rapid growth IN population and the
prosperous conditions prevailing In the
commonwealth
Massachusetts, appears. FOR the first
time as a coal producer. 30 tons OF
Ignite having been mined in Vineyard
Haven Tor local use.
Pennsylvania showed the largest de-
crease in the production of bituminous
coal, the falling of being g. 9S3. $50 short
tons. Of which almost l4,000.000 tons
Was I'm Goa made into coke The sec
ond largest decrease was suffered by
West Virginia where the OUTPUT de-
cllned 6.l93. 40 tons. Illinois the Sec
ond in rank among the coal producing
states. suffered less than any OF the
other important producers. the decrease
being 1lS per cent in quantity. on 3.651,-
f5s tons, aud In value, 81 per cent or
81 700. 135.
The average price per ton Tor BIZ
luminous coal and Ignite is 1908 was
81 u per ton, 2 cents less than the
average Of 1905 and cent more than
that Of 1905. The average price Of an
thraclte at the mines IN Pennsylvania
was S2.35 per long ton both in 1908 and
1907