Show I BITUMINOUS COAl Production of oC bituminous coal In InI 1517 1917 I i was not net tons an In Increase Increase Increase In- In crease over o 1916 16 of or tons or nearly 10 per cent according to C C. F. F E Lesher of oC the United States geological survey department of ot the Interior Tho The prod of Pennsylvania anla an anthracite anthracite an- an in I 91 e established a a. new hl high h record of 9 net tons that in 1916 1 gross ross tons exceeding b by net tons or 01 nearly 14 i 1 per percent percent percent cent and surpassing the previous record record rec ree- ord of oC 1121 2 nt tons tOI in 1913 With h orl the exception of or West AVest Virginia lnla all al the states stats recorded In Increases increases In- In large coal coal pf cre creases se the tle only decreases having been In West Pest Virginia OO IH per r cent Ore Ore- gon South Dakota Daola and Georgia The production of ot coke in 1917 was as an nn Increase compared with wih 1916 of oC tons or 20 per of or h coke product bv cent ent The rue output col Increased from troI tons In 1916 to tons tOlls In 19 1917 i and represented i OI per cent nt of ot the llo to total In 1917 against 3 35 per cent of oC the total In 1916 G. G Tile The production of o beehive coke e col decreased from 3 4 tons lon in 1916 to 18 tons In 1917 The Tho number of oC active act e product product by-product o ovens s I in in- in creased from rein In 1916 to 7 In 1917 and of ot beehive ovens O from G I to but tho the Irre irregularity of oC operation opera- opera lion tion ton of ot beehive ovens o In 1917 i due lue principally principally prin prin- to lack Jack of oC railroad cars re reduced 10 re- re the average erase a production per tier oven Nearly all al tho the decrease In production coke colo In of oC beehive was Pennsylvania although in the last month decreases were recorded In Georgia and anti Ken Ken- tucky r. r rhe The production of ot b by product slightly In ill Illinois coke decreased Pennsylvania Tennessee an and l Washington Washing Washing- ton toil and increased sed not notably bh In New Jerse Jer Jer- se Sc sey Ohio and West Vest Virginia of oC men engaged In The number numb r producing pro pro- dueing bituminous s coal Increased from in 1916 to In 1917 i and the tho number producing anthracite decreased de- de Cr creased from froni In lG 1916 to In 19 1917 Ho 1 0 the number nuber of or men employed underground II In the thc production tion of or bituminous coal increased from Crom in 1916 to in 1917 Ini a n nI pain iain aln of ot hut but 5 D per cent compared with witha I a gain ain of ot 08 per cent In surface em em- In tile tHe regions me Ule number Jum- Jum num nurn- her ber of oC underground run decreased per cent but lt tho the FurCe Increased 24 I per cent In both branches of or tb U A coal conI mining industry there thero was wasa a relatively eh lI large c gain caln In the number r of or men employed ed on the surface which Is significant when It I i Is realized d that It Is tho the underground worker who actually produces the Ohio coal and ml who Is the tIme more skilled workman Tho The ara a average v ra rago e number worked In both bituminous coal col n fields and arid anthracite anthracite anthracite an an- mins JS was the highest re recorded re- re corded ordel- ordel 3 In n tho the bituminous field feld and andE 83 E 83 in the anthracite It I Is interesting to note that tho the preliminary pre pre- estimate of or tho the production of or lJ bituminous coal oal published L by the geological geo eo- eo logical sur c In iii n the first week of Janvary Jan Jan- vary arv 1918 not net tons was waH low because H it i was waa based on the number num num- ber her of or carloads of or coal loaded at tho the mines aa the thC average loading per car at had Increased nearl nearly 4 per cent during the year Cr a a fact act not nol red I until several se months after ael the tho In mate to was made mado o. o |