The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-09-26
COAL PRODUCING COUNTIES

COAL PRODUCING COUNTIES
Jefferson City, Mo-, Sept. 24.-Mis-
souri's coal production, 1918, totaling
), 667, 73O tons, chiefly from the coun
ties north of the Missouri river, but
also including the output of Barton,
Bates, Cooper, Johnson, Henry, La
Fayette, Vernon, Cole and Moniteau,
and other producing counties which
lie south, had a toal mine value of
1885, 9S, breaking, when it comes
to aggregate worth, all previous rec
ords, announces advance information
from the 1919 Red Book of the Mis-
souri, Bureau of Labor Statistics pro-
mulgated in bulletin today by Com
missioner VIM. H, Lewis.
While the 1917 output of coal, Mis-
souri, was slightly more than that OF
1918, totaling 5,670,549 tons, the mine
worth, aggregated, was only Sl2,758
1856, or $4,367,76 less than the total
realized from this source by mine
operators last year. In comparison
with the record breaking years of 1917
and 1918, are the 1916 production fig-
ures, the output of Missouri's coal
mines that year totaling 4,742, LAG tons
and the worth of $9,044 sos, the high
est figures for both value and produc-
ton until then.
That the 1919 Missouri production Of
coal will exceed that OF either 1916 or
1917, both in quantity and value, Is
apparent at the present writing, an
]. nounces the Bureau of Labor Stats
5 tics, bulletin which was prepared by
/ Supervisor of Statistics, A. L. Ed
monstop, one reason being that to
i further boom and boost this already
: extensive and valuable State resource
f and industry, the Fiftieth General AS
: sembly, through the suggestion and
It with the approval of Governor F. d.
Gardner, inserted in one Of the 1919
1920 appropriation measures, now |,
g law, a clause reading, missouri coal
# preferred in the purchase Of coal here
," in provided for. Quality and cost con-
sidered, preference shall be gwen &c
g coal mined in Missouri" This section
IF of the law of 1919-192O is being con-
1T strued by Missouri education, elee-
lie mosynary and penal institutions, IN
lie firmaries, public schools and all other
E. establishments and departments Who'll
+ ly or partly supported by the State, to
IN solely purchase and use Missouri Goa
IN during the two years in question. IL
IS also means an increased demand or
p Missouri coal mines for million
r. more tons of coal over the quantity
s. consumed by these divisions of the
/. STATES government during 1917 anc
1918. The unit value of coal at the
J. mines being more now than it was
Y. year ago, it is evident that the tota
= worth of the 1919 output of Missouri
" ~ will be considerably in excess OF what
e. it was for 1918, there through estab
';s fishing new high record for aggrel
NJ gate value of the yield. III, ~
he Missouri's Coal Producing Counties
s. 1918-1919
SIS The heavy coal producing counties
lr. of Missouri, besides those already
n enumerated as belonging to the half Of
p the State south of the Missouri river
a Adair. Audrain, Boone, Galloway, Clay
ur Dade, Platte, Grundy, Harrison, Sulli
OF van, Linn, Macon, Putnam, Randolph
es Ray, Livingston, Montgomery ant
be Rails counties, all north of the big
SO Muddy, Barton county in Southwest
re Missouri, generally leads all othcl
is Missouri coal producing counties IL
or annual production and total worth
Lafayette county is good second IL
this respect and Macon county gene
rally ranks third.
The average mine worth of Nilsson
It ri Coal in 1918 was $2.02 ton, al
compared to S2.25 a ton in 1917, ana
no $1.9l a ton in 1916. Missouri Goa
he mines during 1918 gave employment
ce to total of $3.50 miners and laboreri
O. who averaged 235 days Of work, eacl
Is. during those twelve months, and re
m ceived approximately 1,268,250 i,
q. wages that year. The work day wa
n, eight hours. The average yearl,
Is. earnings Of each miner that year i
n. placed at S1,175. Each averaged ID
no days of idle time including Sunday
,at and holidays during the year unde
ey consideration.
'er The first official record of coal be
to ing mined in Missouri and sold goe
or back to 1S40, when the output is re
A corded as being only 9,972 tons. Fror
;se then on the annual production and ag
an gregated worth increased in leaps an
I'M bounds until the record output 0
1917 and the record total worth Q
on 1918, were attained. The Unite
.rs States Geological Survey figures tina
n since 1910, period of 78 years, Mis-
an souri, coal mines have had an outpu
m which totals l145,996,470 tons and th
for worth in excess of $305, 100000
ire Isag ----- =