Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-11-01
COAL INDUSTRY
 FOR YEAR OF 1917

The following, clipped from U S. Geological Survey Bulletin concerning the coal industry is of interest at this time:
 The inventory of the nations re- sources that the war made necessary brought to light many new facts about coal mining which will be of lasting value to the industry and to the pub lie. AS long as the war lasted these incidental lessons were lost sight ot under the pressure of meeting the emergency created by the shortage of fuels, but with the return of peace the experience gained during the war is being gathered together in series of efforts on the industry, the first of which, Coal in 1917," by c. E. Lesher, has just been published by the United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
 The period from 1914 through 1917 and 1918 and into 1919 may be re- garded as distinct epoch in the coal industry, of which the year 1917 rep resented only one section, but a sec tion which, if not the most remark able for its achievements, was at once the most chaotic and the most momen- tous in the history of the industry.
 It is not difficult to marshal the events and factors that mark 1917 as unusual: An extraordinary demand, increasing after April, when this country entered the war. and unsatis- fled throughout the year; high prices and speculation in "free" coal; the first effort at regulation of prices through the Committee on Coal Pro duction; the Pomerene amendment to the Lever Act and the fixing of prices and appointment of the Fuel Admini- strator by the President; labor troub- les; priority orders; car shortage and other difficulties in transportation; severe storms in December that block ed the railroads; the withdrawal of ships from the coastwise trade to New England; unequal distribution of coal and constant fear of fuel famine in many section; reluctance of many pro ducers and distributors of coal to ac- cept governmental regulations in gen. cal and the program of the Fuel Ad- ministration as it was developed in particular.
 In response to the unprecedented demand the bituminous mines produc- ed 551, ,79O,563 net tons, or nearly 10 per cent more than the output of the year before. The anthracite output was 99,611,811 net tons, an increase over 1916 of 13.7 per cent. The total output of both hard and soft coal was thus over $50, 100000 tons.
 This record output was accomplish ed by labor force of 603, ,143 men in the bituminous and 154,174 in the anthracite mines. In spite of the draft the number of workers in the bitu- minous industry was greater in 1917 than in 1916.
 Material progress was made during the year in the introduction of the eight-hour day. Whereas in 1916 about Al per cent of the bituminous workers were employed in mines where the standard working day was longer than eight hours, in 1917 the number in such mines had fallen to 21 per cent. The change was largely the result of reduction in working hours in Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsy- lvania (bituminous), Tennessee, Vir- ginia, and West Virginia, particularly in the larger nonunion fields.
 In response to numerous inquiries statistics were collected regarding the thickness of vein which it is profitable to mine. Many people will be sur prised to learn that in 1917 more than 2O,OOO,OOO tons of soft coal was mined from beds less than feet thick. The percentages drawn from each thick ness of seam are shown in the follow ing table:
 Percentage of Total Output of Bitumi-
 nous Coal and Lignite Produced
 From Beds of Different
 Thickness in 1917
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