Show war Is not responsible for slack coal business the opinion is generally expressed that the chief effect of the war in europe upon the coal trade of the united states was to retard or pre vent the return to more normal con editions which was about to be accod when the war broke out states the united states geological geology cal survey the first three months of 1914 were of unusual activity the high rate of production of the pre ceding year having been carried over into the first quarter of 1914 and the weather in january and febia ary having stimulated the demand to some extent then came the slump in the iron trade general depression in business shut down of coke ovens and a period of distress throughout the coal mm min ng regions which has rarely been exceeded the demand production and prices were all at so low an ebb when the war mar broke out that it is not believed to have had any direct influence on the coal trade the quantity of coal exported from the un ted states if compared comp ired with the total pro product ducton on can not be considered very large and so barthe far the greater part of it goes to canada which has taken about the same am aunt in 1914 as in preceding years As usual in times of depression and of decreased production there was masa a plentiful supply of labor throughout the bituminous coal mining region during the entire year and for the same lame reasons there was no complaint of if inadequate transport at on f facil acil t es |