118 BALL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDIA. 
Year. 
Imports. 
Production. 
Exports 
1907 
302,807 
11,147,339 
658,145 
VMS 
391,521 
12,769,635 
659,596 
1909 
519,981 
11,870,064 
563,940 
1910 
332,616 
12,047,413 
988,366 
Between 1881 and 1895 the imports of coal into India remained 
practically stationary. From the latter year a 
^' steady decrease set in, until in 1900 the minimum 
of 154,670 tons was reached. In 1909, largely owing to the high 
price of coal during the boom of 1908, the quantity increased to 
half a million tons, but fell again in 1910 to 332,616 tons. 
About 77 per cent, of the imported coal comes from the United 
Kingdom, the rest being fairly equally divided between Japan and 
Australia. Within recent years attempts have been made to establish 
an Indian market for Natal coal. No great success has been achieved. 
Of the coal used on Indian railways, the foreign article declined 
in use from 183,654 tons in 1881 to 52,147 tons in 1910, whilst 
the home product advanced in use from 382,431 tons in 1881 to 
3,771,247 tons in 1910. 
It is interesting to notice that the use of wood fuel still obtains 
on certain sections of the Indian railway system 
Produ(tion. distant from the sources of coal supply. Since 
1904 when nearly 400,000 tons were used there has been a marked 
dechne, the amount used in 1910 being only 127,725 tons. 
From 1881 to 1894, the production of coal in India slowly and 
steadily increased in threefold measure. From that year, partly 
owing to the impetus given by the opening of the Jharia field, the 
increase has been much more rapid, the figures for 1910 denoting 
an expantion of twelve times on those for 1881. India has now 
for some years occupied the proud position of producing a larger 
quantity cf coal than any other British dependency. It is signi- 
ficant that between 1900 and 1902, coincident with a dechne in 
exports of more than 20 per cent., the production of coal in India 
increased by nearly 18 per cent. This was due to the increased 
