296 



Scope of testimony in coal research hearings 



Many of the witnesses stressed the economic plight of the local com- 

 munities in the coal fields, which were adversely affected by the fluctu- 

 ations in coal markets and production. Several of the witnesses related 

 this characteristic, and the low-profit margins in the coal industry, to 

 this industry's inability to sponsor an adequate program of applied 

 research of its own. For example, in a supplementary statement by G. 

 Don Sullivan, representing the committee on research of the National 

 Coal Association, in the concluding day of hearings, level of coal pro- 

 duction was shown to have considerable bearing on the number of coal 

 producers making a profit. (See table.) 



COAL PRODUCTION— PROFIT RELATIONSHIP i 



Production Percentof coal 

 Year (million tons) producers re- 



porting a profit 



1947 



1948 



1949 



1950 



1951 



1952 



1953.. 



> Adapted from: Coal. Hearings before the Special Subcommittee on Coal Research of the • * * on The establishment 

 of a research and development program for the coal industry, pt. 2, 1957 (serial No. 3), op. cit., p. 569. 



Position of Bureau of Mines on expanded research in coal 



The opening witness before the special subcommittee was Felix 

 Wormser, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Minerals Resources. 

 He called attention to the cooperative study by his Department with 

 Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., reviewing the condition and prospects 

 of the coal industry and identifying 209 specific areas of opportunity 

 for expanded research. He expressed confidence that the coal industry 

 had the prospect of a 50-percent increase in markets by 1975, and 

 "* * * if coal's proportion is only 40 percent of the total energy de- 

 mand in 1975, approximately 1 iDillion tons of bituminous coal will 

 have to be mined." ^^ The current and previous year's status of the 

 coal industry's production and markets, he said, "* * * exceeded the 

 fondest expectations of the most optimistic observers." ^^ 



With respect to an expanded program of research by the Bureau, 

 he said he had asked it to review its coal research program to identify 

 current programs that could be "* * * redirected toward more produc- 

 tive lines of research." More emphasis on coal was probably needed. 

 Accordingly^ — 



Subject to the stringent budgetary limitations, the Department will review the 

 coal program to determine how more emphasis may be placed on this important 

 national problem. Let me assure you that the Department of the Interior recog- 

 nizes the need for a more intensive research coal program and * * * welcomes the 

 opportunity to cooperate in any possible way with this committee to establish 

 a sound program of coal research.^ 



There were, however, limitations on the extent to which coal research 

 could be expanded. To give full treatment to the 209 areas of needed 



" "Coal," Hearings before the Special Subcommittee on Coal Research of the * ♦ • pur- 

 suant to H. Res. 400 ♦ • • 1956 (serial No. 35), op. cit, p. 8. 

 " Ibid., p. 10. 

 18 Ibid., p. 10. 



