Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-17
lESs FUEL MINED IN STATE
LAST YEAR DESPITE IN
, CREASED DEMAND.
LACK or HELP ONE OF
THREE REASONS GIVEN
Railroads Refused to Make Contracts
EARLY in Year Because Of Price Dis.
asrssmsnt--zonins system Of Gov.
= eminent Also Affected Iowa Mines
Railroads Used ons.third Of Output.

Des MoineS, May lI.-Statistics on
coal production in Iowa during 1918
Just complied by Secretary l.. E.
Stamm. of the state mine inspectors
OFFICE show that in spite of the agita-
ton tor increased output and the stor-
ing of coal during the summer months
there was a smaller output in 1918
Than in the year preceding. The total
tonnage CT coal mined in Iowa this
past year was s,219,13S tons, as COM
pared TO 9,049.S tons in 1917. In
1916 the output was 7.217,9i9 tons.
Lack of help. the Zoning system as
Established by the government and the
refusal of the railroads to contract for
coal during the spring months of the
year because of disagreement over
the price to be paid are the principal
factors in the smaller production this
past year as compared to the previous
year
No figures are shown in the report
on the amount Of money the operators
received for their coal or the amount
expended in wages. Figures previous
~ furnished along this line gave the
public too close an idea of the profits
ma lump of coal apparently. The
state mining laws cost figures or sell
ing price figures. due to the fact that
representatives of the mining interests
were on the job when the laws were
made. All that they require in the way
Of report is the quantity of coal pro-
duced. the number of men employed
and the number of accidents. However
the operators do furnish considera BILE
additional information which is com.
piled, showing the amount of powder
used, the number of days the mines
were idle for various reasons. the
amount Of coal sold locally, shipped to
state points or to points outside the
state and similar details. The opera
tors-did in fact furnish the figures on
wages paid and the cost of production
until the public manifested an ability
TO put two and two together and find
out about how much profit the oper-
ator was making.
However, II is recognized that these
figures were apt to be misleading, for
nothing was shown on the losses the
operators had sustained thru various
causes the cost of sinking a shaft and
putting, the mine in operation. the
hazard Of the. busies, nor did the
reports indicate the comparatively
short life of many of .hese mines in
which heavy investments had been
made. @
Roads Use One Third.
Attic the railroads held off on the
matter of contracting for their coal
last spring. nevertheless they used
more than one-third of the entire out
put OF Iowa coal in 1918 The reports
show that out of the S,21s.13s tons
produced the railroads used $500 Pts
tons. There was sold locally 711,412
{ tons; shipped to points within the
state, 3,157,S65 tons: shipped to points
outside the state, 491, 413 tons.
Out OF this amount of coal produced
there were 5.1oO,124 tons of lump, L.
523.4ss tons. Of mine run and 1885,
521 tons Of slack.
1t will be recalled that a rather un-
usual situation arose last spring with
reference to the price to be paid for
coal by the railroads. The railroad
administration claimed that the roads
should buy cheaper than the general
public. The fuel administration
claimed they should pay the same
prices. The railroads finally secured
some reduction tho not as much as
they asked for
The average number OF employees in
and around the mines this past year
totaled 1853 as against 15.464 in 1917
and 1915 in 1915. The average nuns
Der Of days miners were employed this
past year was 207. In 1917 shipping
mines were in operation 240 days and
local mines 157. In 1916 shipping mines
were in operation an average Of 212
days and local mines an average of 151
days. There were fifty-two mining ma
chimes in operation in 1916 and
seventy-six in 1918. ~
Monroe county was the banner
county in output last year, mining
total of 2.417.s26 tons. Appanoose was
second with an output Of 1907 and
Polk county third with total Of t.
429,1S4 tons mined The other coal
mining counties of the state with their
output follow: Marion. 626,41S; Dallas,
527.47o; Lucas, 1856; Boone, 272.-
24s; Wapello. 271,oss; Jasper. 247.4S2;
Mahaska. 1901, Warren ess,7oo:
Wayne, 51,2S3; Webster. 26,Os7:. Keo-
kuk. 1851: Adams, 11,1Ss: Taylor.
1914: Page, 10,20O; Van Buren,, TO-
o54; Greene. 1876; Guthrie. .,7,407;
Davis, 1,743.