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Show Production of Coal and Oil in United States, in 1909 Statements made to the United States geological survey by operators and others conversant with the coal-mining industry indicate that the production of coal in the I'nited States in 1000, while exceeding that of 10GS, did nojl reach thc hlgh-watcr mark attained in 1007, the banner year of industrial activity In this country. It is of course impossible to give accurate informal in-formal Ion regarding tonnagp. but It appear ap-pear from the reports received from the coal-mlnlng states by Edward W. Parker, i-tatistlelnn of the purvey, that the in-oren. in-oren. In production in 1000 over 100S was between S and 10 per cent, which would Indicate a total production of from M.-000.000 M.-000.000 to 150,000,000 short tons. Exclusive Exclu-sive of the output from Sullivan county, the shipments of anthracite from thC mines in Pennsylvania during the eleven months ended November :.. JdOO. amounted amount-ed to f.f.101.fl7 long ions, against ."iS,-S."7.076 ."iS,-S."7.076 long tons for the same period In 100S. It is estimated that the shipments in Deceinbcr will amount to .".."OO.OOU long tons. To the shipments nbould lie added the usual percentage for local trade and colliery consumption and the production of Sullivan county, which would hrinsr the total producllon f Pennsylvania anthracite in 1000 to ap-proxlma ap-proxlma lely 7l.1.-0,l'0n long tons, or about 70.700.1.00 short tons, and the bituminous production will have amounted to be-Jwecn be-Jwecn :;n0.000.O00 and r,70, 000.000 short 'tons. Tho larrcr production from the anthracite an-thracite mines of Pennsylvania n 100S was caused by a stimulated actlvlly due to an apprehension of a. .suspension on April 1. 1000, when Ihe wage agi-ccur-nts would terminate. This activity continued through the first three months uf 11)09. and the shipments In March. JO00. were the largest In the history of the trade. With the renewal of the wage scale. In April, which was In fact a coiitlnuancn of the awards of the anthracite strike commission for a thitd period of three venrs, production fell off. nnd the shipments ship-ments of the summer months of 1000 were much less than In either J007 or VJOo. Scarcity of Water. During the later part of the year inln-Imr' inln-Imr' operations, particularly In tho anthracite an-thracite reslon of Pennsylvania, were seriously hampered by u scarcity of waler. which affected also, to some extent, ex-tent, the bituminous regions, espeelally about Connellsvllle, Pa., where Jarpe quantities quan-tities of water are required. In connection with ihe operation of eoko ovens. In J'JOO. throughout .the entire Appalachian Appa-lachian bituminous regions, from Pennsylvania Penn-sylvania to Alabama, there was a gratifying gratify-ing improvement Sn tliecoal trade over Inc Improvement in the coal trade over gain was In the Coimeilsvllle coking district. dis-trict. In 100S. owing to the estraordi-narv estraordi-narv business depression, the production of coke In the ConnHlwille district fell ofC JT per cent as compared wltji the preceding preced-ing year. The rccovciy in ihe Iron trade In 1000 was so pronounced that Ihe production pro-duction of Connellsville coke was practical practi-cal I r equal to that of l!07. whirl! would indicate an Increase In 1000 over 100S of from 00 to 100 per cent, and the Inejvaxe would have been even greater but for the-scarcity the-scarcity of water, which somewhat r-nrleted r-nrleted the output of a number of the Councils-; illc plants. In the later months af 1000, when the approach of cold weather increased the demand created by tiie business revival, there was a shortage of labor and of railroad cars. A large number of foreign mine workers took advantage ad-vantage of the dull tlnus of 100S to visit their native countrlea and many of them have not returned tn the mining regions nf this country. It is admitted, however, that If the supply of labor nnd of cars and been sufficient to meet the capacity of the mines the production would havc-nccn havc-nccn much larger than the requirements. Shortage of Labor. The great source of complaint at present, pres-ent, particularly In West Virginia. U the shortage of labor. It is said In AVest Virginia alone employment could be given to from 11.000 to 1S.000 more miners and mine laborers than are now I available. Since the middle of the sum-I sum-I mer of 1000. there lias heen a shortage I of cars on the Chesapeake and Ohio, the ' Norfolk and JVestern. and the Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and Mr. .John Lalng. chief of ihe department of mines of West Virginia, reporta that the mines have been idle an average of from one to two days a week from this cause, in tho northern pari of West Virginia a malerlal increase in production wan obtained ob-tained in 1000 over 190S. and this would probably have heen even greater ex-cept ex-cept for the general shortage of labor. One of the larsent mining companies In that nectlou states that It was not run-, nlng within more than-Io per cent, of Its capacity because of the labor shortage. This in attributed to the exodus of miners min-ers to Europe during the business depression de-pression of 100S. and some time must elapse before the effect of this exodus will be overcome. The shortage uf enrs In thir. section was confined principally lo ears needed for the transportation of coke. It being necessary at times to ship as much as SO per cent of the eoko in box cars, at considerable expense over that required by the ordinary coke our?. Conditions in Ohio. Tho controlling intluence in Ohio haa been the competition of West Virginia coals with th" domestic product. I.'n-hanipered I.'n-hanipered by tho rer.trictlons that affect states in which the miners are thoroughly thor-oughly orcanir.cd, such as Ohio, and also because of the more favorable natural conditions for cheap mining, the coals of West Virginia are said to be mined at about one-half the cost of producing Ohio coals, and the West Virginia product pro-duct has taken the Ohio markets to the full extent permitted by the difference in trunsporlation expense;!, leaving to Ohio coals only such niarkels as may be picked up. As the means of transportation transporta-tion by which West Virginia coats are put farther Into the Ohio markets are. constantly improving, the prospect of the industry inOliio is not considered bright. Fewer Striken and Accidents. Throughout the entire Appalachian region theru was little Interference with conl-mining- operations In 1000 by labor dlsaffeellous, and It is also worthy of note that the mines were unusually free from any verv serious explosions or other ncoidents entailing heavy los of life. Exceptions are to be nofe u the explosion ex-plosion at Lick Branch colliery In West Virginia, which occurred on January 12 and reMiltcd in the death' of men, and another at Wchruni. Pa., on Juno by whlcli 21 men were killed and 11 Injured. C. L. Seroggs, yeeretary of I lie Illinois Coal Operaloifi assoclalloii. stales that the only shorlage of labor experienced In the eoal inlnos of Illinois din-hue loon has been due 'to the fuel that the' number num-ber of mines vceeds the requirements of the trade. This means, uf course, thai with more mines than are required to supply the market, and with each mine trying tu secure its quota of labor, more Inhor is employed in Ihe mlne.i than should be necessary to produce the qnan-litv qnan-litv of coal required by the markets. This, as stated by Mr. Scrogss. is reflected re-flected in the report of the bureau of labor statistics of Illinois, which shows that In the year ended June 100S. the shipping mines of tho state operated oniy an average of 191 days, as compaied with 200 days Ihe preceding year. In 100S the lolul number of employees was 70.S41 ; In 1007 the number was 07.7U. There has been some shortage of cars, espedallv durhur the fall nnd winter months, "but Mils was not a shortage which more than affeeted tho distribution distribu-tion of basinet-... There haw been, no suffering for coal because of any failure on ihe part oft the transportation companies. com-panies. There 'were no general strikes or suspensions during 1000. nnd such local lo-cal difficulties as occurredjk were not sufficient to Influence the total pioduc- tion. The southern part of ,u niinM.sfifes' and Indiana was KOWorahtffltt by the shortage of .walcr urV, 1 summer and fail. . v'5 ,1 L In the western part of KentucU VbiriJa ' contains the eouthcrn extremity,,,; "J,,1!! llllnols-lndliimi field, budlil,-, ar0LUiJ f? production Is concerned, war Ws ....i.! laetory than in 1005. There wcr LL Interruptions to operations becaui fit l ibor difficulties, for labor was plcn'ifnft k at wus also the supply pt coal rar w hole trouble seemed to be In tlio ti niand. which was by no means equal n lb'- capac ity of the mines. 1 In Arkansas. Oklahoma and Texas hL I production of coal In 1 roy was about liil; I samo as In 100s". According to the ; L port of tho trustees for the Choctaw jfiui r Chickasaw nations, who check the rovi alty payments on the leased lands belonci llll Ins to the Indians, the llnu nine niontRi 111 of 1000 showed a production ot 1.774 "7 111 short tons, as compared with I tso'gs ml' short tons In I00S. During the year 'til U' trade has been nffeclcd by no markc l-htllucitc'.-K except a great scarcity of w L ler at the Arkansas nnd Oklahoma tnluci V particularly irom the flrst of June u Jrirpi the middle ol .November. This d rough S caused a crop shortage, which In tun fCPl affected to some extent the coal trade yn L also served lo Increase the cost ot pro c duetlon by necessitating increased tx-t pense In providing water for boll- rs n fc. the Arkansas district and the. Texas re", ft gion there was no shortage of labor dur iVP, lug loon, the opera tore tuning had mor . : difficulty in supplying steady cmploymcn "S.T for the labor than In securing labor fc C the work to be done. The transporuilou B conditions have been better limn foi v several years past, the rnilroad comiii panics reporting not only an adequ.mHw supply or ears, but prompt shipment fin These have bven conspicuously satlsfa Ir1 toi-y features ol the eoal trude durlnxB Ihe year. Jff Coal Versus Petroleum. Vn It Is tho opinion of s-otnc of those InJ'tSe tciested In the Industry that coal galneitkt ground against Its chief competitor for steam-raising purposes crude polroMirrSw and It Is stated tluit more companies nt have substituted coal for oil than havi tn put in oil during the past twelve months for Other operators report the coiapetitloua of fuel oil as stronger than in 190s. Nat-Sj ural gas has gained some ground, foi 5vT It Is supplying towns and industries thui Sfiil were using coal in 130S. Pipe lines f, i!i nearly completed lo Fort Worth. Ter. mi from the Henrietta (Tex.) oil and g& L, field, and ii Is expected that itu cJl) Sa, of Fort Worth will be supplied with nat- 5,t ural gas some timo in the early pari 5,,, of I010. -f llcpoits from the Rocky inouiitnli 2E. slates indicate a much better conditio) K of affairs In 1000 than in 100s. The it- vival of the metal-mining Industry 1 naturallv Increased the consumption 0 JJJJ, coal, and in addition tu this lh n. liavi Jf been bountiful rains, excellent crops, am -S. generally prosperous conditions In thl 5iS region. Mining" operations have not brct if, Interfered with by strikes, suspenslonc f. or lockouts, ihe supply of labor lias been ti satisfactory, and while there has bee some shortage of cars lo haul the frull L ' crops, the coal mines did not suffer Ir v; this particular. f. j!1. Reports received fiom all of the coal- mining regions tend 10 confirm a. sUtcj- W meat frequently made In reports of. tin 5" united stales geological suncy mat uii a,., development of coal-mlnlng properties "it far In advance and in excess of the prcs ent requirements and cnipliaslze tin need of some kind of slate or federa restriction In the interest of the safct! jf of life und of the consenatlou of ou material resources. In the face of th T' keen competition which -xh.ts because o Jr, the fact that the capaeiiy or the co b1, -mines, as operated at the present day, Jj from 2."i to oO per cent graler than tli nearly half-bllllou tors pioduced In I50J "5 It Is Impossible to condui t mining opcr- "v, a lions under methods which will product the gicalest ul t Imp ti tonnage. cun safety to life and limb for employee;-, am furnish a rcusonablo return on the eaplu Invested. X, According to reports received by tlx 5v United Slates geological purvey, the re, markable rule of increase in the proj duetlon or petroleum tint extended Intt 1007 and 100S was checked in 1000. f The total production for tho Unltct "L States In 1000. as estimated by David T Day of the geological survey, was be le 1 ween 17.000,000 and 17S.0D.000 barrel? f as against 170.572.-I70 barrels in 100. Tlv 1 decrease was Je.ss than had been ex-X peeled in Iew of the great accumulat 01 yjf of stocks during the pi ending yeir. 'I in Ojf accumulation occurred iliUrelv In stab? east of the Cueky mountain lh.it hav lP no trade connection with California, an 5? this state therefore showed a great gain in which nearly all Its pools participated m Thai the production of 100S was ir.or -ft than Ihe market could reasonably stani W was shown by life decline in prier in th jF eastern and middle fields. The price fo W Pennsylvania crude oil. which had heel JJj SL7S per barrel begun lo decline on Mi; 3. 1000. and had fallen to ?1 IS per bar J rcl by December 0. A cut wa made V i Lima oil from 5101 to M cents pa- bar w i-el; in Illinois oil from cents n-r bar tC rel to fiO 1 entn per barrel, and In th fJ Oklahoma fields ihe price Ilk wLe de R .lined rroui II cents po barrel lo cents per barrel. , ;t- i There were no significant ovprlefvej 1 new llelds during the year, a'thouzh out; iy side of the well-known region? prospcJCtfj. lug was particularly active in "W omlnsJTrc rtnh and New Mexico. Rocky Mounto in Sta tc?. t J All the western slatep flourished Cod ife, sldrnblv Increased attention belW e given to all portions of tlv- Wyomln; j fieldK. Tho discovery here and there ? ig llghl-gnnjly oil has had a stimulatlnj r, eir-ct. , T R California now stands first in oil nn duetlon. producing fully to ooo noo bar rcls more than Oklahoma, wni-h mnh l jjeeond. Developments hcim In i-n raj continued wUli Increasing npMlty n 1000. many sections producing '0'S;J ) large capacity. , ,, ,1 5 One of the important events t tj t; year -an event Ihnt created er"eniy in oil circles-wns the drllllrs in J-Ptenj r her of the Silver Tip Well on section -I t Coaling:! field. This Is said to h. l tft the possible exception of the Hnrtuft well of the Cnlon Oil eompanj. '''"M.! i Panta Maria in 1004. the greatest a ever drilled In the state. Other impor Ian developments have extended tlrr coaun- field lo the west and south. ,i:,,r $ wells drilled in the Sunset. MhMy j, oilier districts slmw ihe wonderful tm j, ties of the oil fields of the si sit'. . 10O0 several pipe lln'-s were M""S it Htruclion to carry the Increasing PSJ nnd although no exact statejnr it i.in be made as to the total prodtic th in. tWfl J, was undoubtedly a very bV""''"' S over the output of th- pre 011s CJ. B. a satisfactory increase In price. l- Pig Iron and Iron Ore. ii There was a voiiderfijl : r hal n t h iron industry 11 the I nltrd htau. i'ooy. "o that Ihe profluolfon of I10U1 g St ore and pig Ir-n will J1'ar'nl'lPpt, Iron ore. 4 Iron Ore. 3 f The lncrenae in the pioduc timi of In W the Lake Superior oi'W' 1 .", !. here The hike shlpn-enls 0 b 4 perior Iron ore. -" " ! ifc Tnule rtevlew. amounted b . 1 to ll.Pn.SeO Kmg-tons "lfIh-0,&,il0oPS St ably be Increased to about l ..oo.i tons by January J,'. V',,, g toiVy 1 S with a tola of -'. l-'.'' " ";'" ,nt i .g lOllS and -11,200.103 Ions low 'V y8( 007. he lake shipments f-.r njj; ever, cannot be laken a- n ""fat ' Nt the pmductlon. "'V' .'s .rfcrlor "Utri ( the mines )n the Uil.e . r 1V - ut the end of l90SwiwKrr.il , m oral million tons than It " ,.a some yeui-s past. . ...7.3 T long ton, as compa ml j V lonu- tons nt the end r -l" ,n pW Imi 'l-he production In , , Sx l,ly be Miiilmt crvnter tl in i 1 J the record year: that , ,30 probably be about the nc t J i:y talcing the tmjlu-1 i n ;' ,rlnT g districts iik a ls.,,V.,r("u,'p.irW 6l with tin- Uroducthui m y"" 0w l the country In lrv,?,,lF tSrc proJucll Ht estimaie of tlif tola r0-rC pr t, In 1000 hns been obtained. |