The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-07-10
INCREASE IN
FUEL BR|QUETs

TU[L DnlQU[l0
Outlook Promising for a Substantial
Production According to Coal Stat
istician Of United States Geological
survey-Rriquets a Highly Desirable
Fuel.
made in the development of fuel bri-
quoting in the United States during
the last two years, according to Ed
ward w. Parker, in a statement just
made public by the United States Geo,
logical Survey This country, however,
still lags far behind some of the Euro
pean countries, particularly Germany,
in this liae of industrial activity. In
1909 the production of fuel briquets in
the United States was 139,661 short
tons, valued at $652,697, an increase of
nearly 55 per cent in quantity over
1908. In 1911 the production amounted
to 212,443 short tons, valued at $780,
721, the increase in two years amount
ing to 72,7S2 short tons, or 50 per cent
in quantity, and to $317,024, or 70 per
cent, in value.
In Mr.. Parker's opinion, more atten-
ton should be given to this industry,
as on it depends to considerable de-
gree the utilization of some grades of
fuel which are now wasted or sold at
less than the actual cost of produc-
tion. The reprehensible practice of
shooting bituminous coal "off the solid"
"a practice notably prevalent in the
fields of non-coking coal in the Missis-
sippi Valley-produces an inordinate
proportion of slack, which might be
made into briquets.
Low Price of Soft Coal Check to
Development.
The principal factor operating
against the more rapid development of
fuel briquetting in the fields of non
coking coal in the Middle West is the
low price fthe raw fuel with which
the briquet has to compete. The aver
age price for fuel in the northern Mid
die States in 1911 ranged from about
$110 to about $175. The cost of man
ufacturing briquets, exclusive of the
cost of the raw material, is about 81
ton, and though briquets possess un-
doubted advantage for domestic use
over raw coal, householders have to
be educated to the fact that the higher
cost of the briquets is more than Offset
by their desirability. In Germany the
briquetting industry has made extra
ordinary progress, the production in
1910 being 16,66S,605 short tons, and
in 1011 lS,554,020 tons.
Some probability of more substan-
tial development of briquetting in the
Eas' ern States is indicated by the re-
cent advance of 25 cents ton on the
domestic size of anthracite and the
fact that there is little possibility of
any future reduction in the prices of
this fuel. In fact, further advances are
more to be expected, in view of the
rumored increase in royalty to be de-
manded by the owners of coal lands in
the anthracite region.
Rr;nnake Har Ra Mada Erano Waefa
It seems reasonable, therefore, to
suggest that the utilization of the small
sizes by manufacturing them into bri-
quets, on which profit could be made,
might be more rational than selling
these small sizes. as is now done. for
less than the cost of production. The
available quantity Of raw material of
this grade for briquetting is enormous.
Ii 1911 the shipments on anthracite
smaller than pea coal amounted to
over 20000000 long tons, of which 50
per cent was obtained in the prepara-
ton of freshly mined coal. This 90
100000 tons was worth not to exceed
$30,000O00, but if manufactured into
briquets of egg and stove size at a
cost of about $25,O0O,OOO it would have
been worth $7O,OOO,OOO In other words,
the outlay of an estimated $25,000,OOO,
mostly in labor, would have brought
a profit of so per cent. The enormous
eulm banks of the anthracite region,