THE WORLD'S NEED OF COAL 187 



but on the basis of the British statistics from 1854, and of 

 periods can not be determined with any pretense of accuracy; 

 estimates for earlier periods, and from such statistics as are 

 obtainable from France, Germany, Bel^num, and Austria 

 Hungar>^, an approximation may be made to the actual pro- 

 duction. In 1860 the world's production of coal was about 

 142,000,000 long; or 144,000,000 metric tons, or less than one 

 fourth of the production of 189G, and considerably less than 

 the production of either the United Kingdom or the United 

 States at present. 



The production of coal is chiefly in the hands of three 

 nations, the British, the Americans, and the Germans. Dur- 

 ing the last thirty years, and even earlier, the combined coal 

 output of these three countries, the United Kingdom, the 

 United States, and Germany, has averaged year for year 

 about five sixths of the coal output of the world. Possessing 

 but a tenth (about 10 per cent) of the population of the world, 

 they have produced about eighty three per cent of the mineral 

 fuel, while the remaining 90 per cent of the world's inhabit- 

 ants have produced only about 17 per cent of the coal; and 

 even if the savage and semi-barbarous nations be disregarded, 

 the immense preponderance of coal production in these 

 countries must be conceded. To this group might be added 

 Belgium, which produces and consumes more coal per capita 

 than any other country except the United Kingdom, but 

 for the fact of its small population, placing it in the second 

 rank of coal producing countries. 



While the continued output of these three countries 

 has kept pace with the production of the rest of the world, 

 their relative position has been materially altered. In 1868 

 the United Kingdom produced over three times as much as 

 either the United States or Germany, the output of these 

 countries being approximately 52, MJ, and 164 P^r cent 

 of the world's production respectively. In 1870 the propor- 

 tion was about the same, although the United States had 

 gained upon Germany as a coal producer. By 1875 the out- 

 put of the United Kingdom was still considerably greater 

 than the combined production of the United States and Ger- 

 many, the output of these three countries forming 45, 20, 



