The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-01-05
COAL PRODUCTION
FOR YEAR CLOSING
Figures for Central, Southwestern, and
Rocky Mountain States Given Out
BY United States Geological Survey.

logical Survey, tue coal-mining returns
for 1911 indicate that the output of the
year was no more and possibly less
than that of 1910, in spite of the fact
that most of the mines in the Mis-
sissippi Valley and the southwestern
states were closed down for practical
ly six months during 1910.
The general feeling throughout this
region in 1911 was that business was
exceptionally bod Some idea of the
conditions may be obtained from the
statement that Illinois alone is cap
able of producing, with her present
development and equipment as much
coal as is now produced in the entire
interior region, including Illinois, In
diana, western Kentucky, Iowa, Kan
sas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and
Texas. In other words, Illinois with
out opening another mine can produce
fully 100,O00,O00 tons of coal. The
market .or Illinois coal can not absorb
more than 50,000000 tons, and in 1910,
the year of the strike, Illinois alone
produced 46,000,000 tons. The effect
of these conditions is shown in the
lower prices in 1911 compared with
1910. 1t is estimated that the price
of Illinois coal was cents ton less
in 1911 than in the previous year. In
Indiana the price was cents less, and
in the southwestern district it was
from 10 to IL cents less. 1t is claimed
that the cost of mining has been in
creased in all portions of the region.
Competition With, Fuel oil and Gas.
In the northern coal field of Michi-
gan conditions in 1911 were about the
same as in 1910, and the production
will not show much change when COM
pared with the output of the preceding
year.
In Iowa, in addition to the general
depression in the manufacturing in
dustries, the dry weather during the
year soccasioned the closing of many
tile-burning kilns, which reduced the
demand for coal from that source. The
railroad companies also reduced their
requirements. The car and labor sup
ply in Iowa, as in other sections of the
region, was entirely adequate In
Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma com
petition with fuel oil and with gas
continues to be controlling factor
and the competition of Goals from Col
orado, Alabama, Kentucky, and Illinois
was stronger in 1911 than in 1910. The
markets for Arkansas and Oklahoma
coal have narrowed down to points so
close to the producing regions that the
freight rates from the mines in other
states make UP for the cheaper cost
of mining in those states. An amelio-
rating factor, so far as Arkansas is
concerned, is that the Arkansas somke-
less coal is beginning to expand its
market for domestic trade, and in the
northern markets the public is gradu-
ally beginning to realize that the south
western states produce a high-carhon |
smokeless coal ranking especially for
domestic usel in grade and quality
with that produced in West Virginia |
Because of this expansion in the trade |
for Araknsas scmokeless coal, the out
put of the state increased in 1911 about /
10 per cent ocer 1910. The operators
in Arkansas and Oklahoma make Wig
orous complaint against the high min
ing rates which they are compelled to
pay. 1t is claimed that the high cost
of mining has so restricted the produc-
ton that the working time has been re-
duced to about 80 per cent of the pos
sble working days during the year,
and that the miners are no better off,
so far as annual wages are concerned,
Not the least difficulty with which
the operators in Arkansas and Okla
homa have to contend is the persist
ency of the miners in shooting the coal
from the solid. This practice. it is Il
claimed, has increased the proportion
of low-grade slack coal from 20 per
cent formerly large percentage) to
40 per cent, which is now the mini
mum. Shooting from the solid not
only reduces the percentage of salable
coal, but by increasing the quality of
fine coal and dust increases. the liza
bility to explosions.
Decreased Production in Rocky Noun
tain Region.
The production of coal in most of the
Rocky Mountain states decreased in
1911 about 10 per, cent, compared with
1910. The reduction was due primar-
lily. first, to an unusually mild winter
in 1901; second, drought in the ag-
ricuItural states west of Mississippi
river, which caused large reduction in
the demand for domestic purposes in
South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Tex