The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-01-04
Federal Geological Survey in
Bulletin Describes the
Industry for Year.

~ ~ " tNASAf NllS .AldlA ull-
lion ton mark was passed, there have
nevertheless been few more unsatis-
factory years in the history of the
lcoal-mlnlng industry. in the opinion
of Edward w. Parker, coal statisti-
clan Of the United States Geological
Survey. For the most psftt the year
was one Of over production and of a
Istruggle for trade which depressed
prices to such an extent that when
the total returns for the year are
footed up the balance will probably
be on the wrong side OF the ledger.
There were, of course. exceptions,
and notable among them was the
record made in the anthracite region
of Pennsylvania The shipments OF
anthracite reported by A. II. Arm
strong, chief of the bureau of an
thracite statistics, for the eleven
months ended November 80,
amounted to 6S,SSS. ST. long tons,
and estimating the shipments during
December at $780, 900 tons, the to-.
tai for the year was 7O,lOo, 900 Ion.
tons. This exceeded the previous
high record Of 1907 by approximate
ly 100000 tons. Ths;total trade,
in 1911 amounted to about 2,0OO,-
900 long tons, and the GOLFERS con-;
sumption amounted to about 5000
900 tons, so that the total produc-
ton was very close to SO,10O, 900
long tons, or about $1,000 tons
over the output OF 1910 But for a
number of years the use of anthra
cite has been, with the exception of
the small sizes used for steam
raising in hotels, apartments and of
fee buildings, confied to purely do
nestle purposes and increases or
decreases in its production can not
be considered as factorsin the study
of industrial conditions The an
thracite industry in 1911 was prob
ably as firm as any other in the
country. A part.tof the increase in
production is probably due to the
stocking of fuel in anticipation of
April /. 1912, when thewage agree
ments terminate, but the market has
been absorbing an unusually large
tonnage and the increase in. produc-
ton has not been chiefly artificial.
Soft Coal Mining at Loss.
On the. whole atheio bituminous
trade has been dehoralfzed and dis
couraging, and much W the bust
ness was conducted at d loss. The
principal cause for this particularly
in the eastern states, has been the
depression in the iron trade which
was more seriously reflected in the
coklng coal regions From CORE
spondencs with many Of the princi-
pal coal mining and coke making
companies Mr.. Parker estimates that
the production of coke IN 1911 Will
show decrease of 90 to 80 per
cent, compared with 1910. About
"a per cent of the coal used in the
manufacture Of coke is slack, as the
fine coal produced in the mining op,
erations is called 1t Is not a de-
Isirable fuel for other purposes. and
the shutting down of hundreds of
coke ovens has added the burden Of
digposing of this product to the
other troubles of the bltuminous OPP,
orators. The demands OF the rail-
roads and of other manufactures
than iron were scarcely up to nor
NAL, and bituminous coal was a
drug on the market. A coal mine
can not, like factory, be shut down
and allowed to remain idle without
expense. Ventilation, pumping and
repairs must be kept up, and it may
4 be cheaper in the end to mine and
sell coal at loss than to shut down
A generally expressed opinion
among those interested in bitumin-
GUS coal mining is that legislation
must be secured which viii enable
prodcer to effect better control of
the industry, under federal super
vision, if need be, in order that llfe
and property may be adequately
safeguarded. an tmpossIbility when
operations are conducted at loss
or with too narrow margin OF
profit. Such control seems essen
tial, too, If real conservation-rtax-
iimum recovery with minimum waste
lis to be accomplished.
Total Coal Output.
The total production of bitumin-
GUS moal i'm 1911 was probably from
three to FIVE per cent less than in
1s1O. "A decrease of Eve per cent
does not seem relatively important,
but when 1t considered that Ave
per cent of the production means
%, oOO,O 900 tons in. quantity, more
Ai,,o i. ,,,orEar nf ron for each in-