The Coal Mining Industry - Bituminous Output Gains - More Mechanization and Cleaning - Better Planning

AS this is written, the probability A is that the bituminous coal out- put for 1936 will approximate 420,000,000 tons (of 2000 lb.) with an average working time for all mines of 205 days. The results for 1935 approximated 369,224,000 tons, with the mines working about 185 days. The increase in production of 14 per cent is heartening. In anthracite, it is probable that the preliminary figures covering output for 1935, 51,- 003,000 tons, will be exceeded this year although the percentage of in- crease will almost certainly be small. The substantial tonnage of anthracite illegally mined, estimated to be 3,600,- 000 tons in 1935, with a similar large Lonnage in 1936, is in addition to the figure given above; it represents an open and flagrant disregard of law and property rights. It is hard to understand why the officials of the State of Pennsylvania do not enforce the laws against theft and brigandage, more so when the legitimate employees of the established producing proper-