THE WORLD’S COAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 July 1925, Page 8

THE WORLD’S COAL.

FALLING OFF IN PRODUCTION LAST YEAR.

The United States geological survey estimates that the world’s total production of all coal in .1924 was approximately 1350 million metric tons, or nine millions less than in the preceding year. . In the States there was a serious reduction in the production of bituminous coal and lignite, from 511,791,872 to 438,420,000 tons, or roughly a drop of 15 per cent. In Great Britain the fall was from 280,430,369 to 273,453,(K>0 metric tons, or about seven million tons. I/ess important decreases/are reported in the output of Canada, Boland, Hungary, Russia, and Japan. Qn the other hand, the Belgian production continued its upward tendency. France put out seven million more tons, while the German product rose from 62,224,535 to ] 18,829,000 metric tons. British India, New South Wales, and the Union of South Africa also showed advances on the year 1923. The lignite output of Germany was also higher. ' The report says it is of interest to note the increase in the production•ih France. From a total of 41 million tons in 1913 the war brought the output down t 6 22 million tons in 1919'. An improvement then set in, and the 1924 total of nearly 45 million tons (including Lorraine) was more than double that in 1919, and exceeded the pre-war level by four million tons.