Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-29

tion. In some sections miners have
ieft the mines and sought other work
on account of decreased production.
Averaging up the operations of the coal
Fields of the country. one authority
estimates that the mines are not work
ing to more than so per cent of thei,
capacity. Production of anthracite coal
has been medium active. while that of
soft coal has not been strong.
While their markets are quiet now
the coal producers face only the barest
chance of needin.
Prospect Ahead TO fret and grow
fcr Big Business e ,n' Jns' d s ions
i-vSs Of sales due to the war and
"eather. There is plenty of practical
promise that American industry is not
DING to be hit anywhere near SO com
i'sliing blow as thu. early war clair
oyants felt impelled to warn about.
~SA<, 'S.sss. -. - :. nalss.---r O. .'.-'a :.
,,any OF our factories will have &c
i!;.aap forward ut an increased rate III
order to supply that part of our own
'ccple's products the demand for which
'sj formerly taken care of by German,
.:elgian. Dutch and French manufac-
.uTciS-
Nateflc;i is Il SiZable market. even
t.'-h taken by itself. leaving the rest
The world out of consideration. Tn
I'll quite recently. it has been the sole
:t:ah:tion of prosperous American man
uzacturers to develop this home market.
i'eop,e here consume considerable
quantity of various things, and they
vii: continue to consume, whether Eu-
rope war or not. When manufac-
turef starts out to Sa tiSfy the Ameri-
can trade. and succeeds. ne becomes
quite as well-to-do as the average eX-
port manufacturer of Europe. In short,
the materials of wealth are here in
sufficient abundance and variety to in
spire an unruff1ed trust in the future
solyency of the country, even should
gold be fated to run out and the peo-
pie to enjoy their plenty on terms of
barter No matter how one looks at it
1t does not seem possible that the Eu
ropean war can hit American prosperity
lower than the shoulder strap.
So-and this is matter OF agreement
among several students of trade-it is
to be awaited that
frODa0le Increase our manufacturers
in Home Orders. IN ,h ,oS So, Df@ f,,enea
will have pretty nearly found them
selves. that their order books will be
well written up and their plants busy
supplying about the usual home de-
mand, with the largest slice of Eu-
ropean competition left out, and that
we Will be able to muss along in COM
parat1ve comfort whether the bright
hopes for an increased foreign bust
ness materialize or no. And there are
good many acceptable reasons. prac-
teal as we'll as theoretic, for venturing
to indulge the belief that the greatest
opportunity of all our history for the
expansion of our foreign trade is being
thrust under our noses right now.
All this mas to do with the comfort
and peace of our coal producers. With
native industry in the process of oil
ing up its normal number of machines
III the firm conviction that somebody
must supply the cottons, woolens the
cutlery, steel, machinery, the pottery
glassware and host of other things
which we have needed in the past. and
10 whose possession Europe has help
ed US literally, and with some of our
industries. notably tool machines,
automobiles, shoes, planning more
machines with an eye to largely in
creased foreign saleS-with these con-
oitions dawning, coal producers seem
in a good way to selling as much fac
tory and foundry fuel this year as
last. Later on, their sales for indus
trial purposes stand a good chance for
increase.
The weather may be dismissed with
the prediction that it will grow gener-
ally colder. All coal dealers admit as
much, and await an early Frightening
OF the trade due TO the family winter
needs.
There is, however. no such unanimity
in regard to the future of the export
trade. Some predic-
Hoping to Boom lions are that our
IT'LL coal export will be
Af0A' tremendously in
creased by the present war conditions,
while other experts expect a decrease,
or, at best, but slight increase in
shipments Several of Americas larger
coal companies, nevertheless, are going
after an increased slice of the worlds
trade with confident directness.
In consideration of the possibilities
of an increase in coal exports, authori-
ties In the trade find the South Ameri-
can situation of most Importance. Coal,
they say. will likely be the first article
sent south by this country in any i'm
portant quantity. South America. takes
in normal times about 5000, 900 tons
OF coal and briquettes. which she re-
ceives mostly from Wales and Aus
trslia. The United States has sold
here only about 100000 tons. The war
will probably nearly cut off the two
British sources of supply. Moreover
there has long been a movement on
foot in England for the curtailment by
law of the export of coal, because of
the diminishing English coal wealth
il does not seem unlikely that Ameri-
can producers may obtain command of
the South American market and MAIN
tain it, especially as it is estimated
that with the canal in operation Ameri-
can Goals. equal in quality. can be laid
down on either coast more cheaply
than the Cardiff coal.
The probable increase of our coal
exports to South America has been
estimated all the way from a few hun
dred thousand tons TO more than four
million. This export has already be-
gun to pick UP. For j. time. after the
declaration of war. South American
countries experienced a mild coal fam
inc Argentina is said to have for
hidden ships to coal in her ports. Now
something like 100000 tons are believed
to have been purchased or contracted
for by South Americans. A single Bra
lillian steamship company has made a
contract for the purchase of $4,000 tons.
while another line of the same country
is filling all Of its surplus cargo space
on every ship with American coal.
south America uses mostly the bltumi-
nous product.
America is the richest coal country in
the world. It's coal reserves are estt-
mated at Il figure
America Greatest which defies all at
n tempt at familiari-
VVdA IAou"oSA' ty. They have been