Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-16
BIC PRODUCTION
OF IOWA COAL
MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN
1910 SAYS GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY.
10000 ARE EMPLOYED
Statistics on Industry Give val.;'
information; 80 Per Cent 9.
Original Supply Still! Avail
able, Says Roper,

Washington, D. c., Sept. 14.-- The
total production or coal in Iowa II
1910 was 7,92S,12 short tons, valued
at $13,903,913, an increase of 170,358
tons in quantity and of $1,110,285 In
value over the figures for the proceed
ing year, according to statement just
issued by E. w. Parker, coal stats.
tician of the United States geological
survey.
The benefit derived by Iowa coal
operators from the strike In the I'LL.
nois field was principally in eliminat.
ing the competition of Illinois coal
from the comparatively local markets.
which are the natural territory of the
Iowa mines. Coal operators in Iowa
have complained that Illinois coal has
more favorable freight rates than
those accorded to Iowa coal, and that
the mining rates originally fixed to
compensate differences in freight
charges have not been changed when
freights on Illinois coal were reduced.
so that the Iowa mines have been
placed at a disadvantage. The statis'
tics for 1909 indicated an improve
ment in these conditions, for the pro-
duction was the largest in the history
Of the state, and prices were the high
est in recent years. In 1910 the idle.
ness in Illinois reacted upon the Iowa
production more in the way of still
higher prices than by any marked In
crease in production. Apparently the
only reason assignable for the COM
paratively small increase Is that the
mines were operated to their full
capacity with the available supply OF
labor. That there was no exodus from
the Illinois mines to those of Iowa
is shown by the fact that fewer men
were employed in the Iowa mines IN
1910 than in 1909 There were some
strikes but they were not as pro-
tracted as in Illinois, and the total
time lost was only about 10 pes cent
of the time worked The general strike
which began on April 1 lasted in
Iowa about six weeks, whereas in
Illinois it lasted practically six
months.
Coal was mined in twenty-five
counties of Iowa in 1909 and 1910.
Sixteen Thousand Men Employed.
The Iowa coal mines gave employ
ment in 1910 to 1866 men. who
worked an average of 218 days. OF
these men. 5000 were on strike dur,
ing the year, the average period Of
idleness being forty-four days The
AVERAGE production per man was 476
tons for the year. Most OF the mines
of the state are operated eight hours
day.
Has Great Coal Reserve.
Iowa probably ranks second among
the stotes west OF the Mississippi
river in order Of priority as a coal
producer. At the census of 1910 Iowa
and Missouri We're the only states
west of the river in which any coal
production was reoorted. Missouri.
however, was credited with an output
of nearly 10000 tons. while 1owa's
production was given at 400 tons,
Iowas total coal production to the
close of 1910 has amounted to nearly
164,50O 900 short tons, which, includ-
ing the estimated loss Of half ton
for every ton recovered. represents an
exhaustion of approximately 247,0O0,:
coo short tons. The original supply OF
coal in Iowa, as estimated by N h.
Campbell, OF the United States,
geological survey, was 29,16o,000,00o
short tons, from which it appears that
at the close Of 1910 over 28,900,000.O 600
short tons, or little over SO per cent
of the original supply, was still avail
ah1a