PAPERS ON GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY 385 



Stripping unfits the land for any agricultural purposes 

 except pasturing. The surface is left in a very uneven 

 condition and erosion attacks it readily. 



MARKETS 



Illinois consumes more than oO^c of her own produc- 

 tion of coal. Chicago consumes about 147c, and St. Louis 

 and East St. Louis use about 10%. Because of compe- 

 tition of eastern coals, practically no Illinois coal goes 

 eastward, although some has reached northeastern mar- 

 kets in recent years. Xo coal goes south, and the region 

 north of the lakes is supplied by the lake traffic with 

 eastern coal. Our best outside markets are to the north- 

 west, to the Minneapolis and St. Paul region. Competi- 

 tion between Illinois coals and those of eastern states 

 favors the outside coals because of the better quality of 

 the coal, cheaper labor and cheaper transportation where 

 this is done by streams and lakes. 



EFFICIEXCY AXD CONSERVATION 



More than 98% of our vast coal resources is still be- 

 neath the surface. Losing the production of 1918 as a 

 basis, and calculating on a recoveiy of 50%, which I be- 

 lieve to be more nearly correct, there are being mined and 

 wasted about 175,000,000 tons of Illinois coal per year. 

 There is no evidence that the rate of removal will not 

 increase for some years to come. On the 1918 basis of 

 removal, the coal deposits of Illinois will be exhausted 

 in 800 years. Operators near Johnston City and Herrin 

 think this part of the field will be active for a period of 

 50 years from the present date. Of course other areas 

 less accessible will come into prominence as the more 

 favorably located deposits are exhausted. But is 50 

 years a sufficient look into the future? Is 800 years to 

 He considered as the limit of time during which we should 

 expect to use coal? Should we not begin now to con- 

 sider more efficient uses of our coal supply in order that 

 its life may be lengthened? 



In order to do this we should begin at once to get at 

 the root of the evils. "Wastes due to mining operations, 



