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COLORADO

Although in 1923 Colorado showed an increase in tonnage over 1922, it did not equal that of several other years in the history of the State. The output was 10,346,218 tons, valued at $33,299,000, and the increase was 326,621 tons, or 3.3 per cent, in quantity, and $1,598,000, or 5 per cent, in value; but the average number of employees and of actual days worked during the year decreased slightly. The number of days worked in 1923 is affected by a peculiarity in the returns for Routt County, which is explained in footnote', Table 86, page 658.

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FIGURE 46.-Production of coal per working day in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, 1918-1923. Data from Table 78

Figure 46 makes clear the fluctuations in the quantity produced per working day in the years 1918 to 1922 and the months of 1923. The seasonal character of the demand for the domestic coals and lignite of Colorado introduces a characteristic summer trough and winter peak into the curve of production for the State as a whole, in sharp contrast to the relatively steady curve for New Mexico, the output of which goes more largely for industrial use.

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TABLE 86.-Coal produced in Colorado, 1922-23-Continued

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a Includes also loaders and shot firers.

9, 390, 124

534, 464

231, 595

10, 326, 998 19, 220 190, 035 10, 346, 218

33, 243, 000 56, 000 33, 299, 000

3. 22 2.92

8,064

3, 114

2, 162

13, 340

174

3. 22

In Routt County the mines have in recent times followed the practice of reducing their forces in periods of dull market and of working every day underground when the tipple works only one, two, or three days a week. As the figure of days worked represents tipple time, the result is not comparable with the returns for other counties, and the average for the State is affected also.

COAL

TABLE 87.-Coal produced in Colorado, 1919–1923, in net tons

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Increase or
decrease,
1923

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Total value...

10, 323, 420 $28, 748, 534

12, 278, 225

9, 122, 760

$42, 829, 000

$32, 377, 000

10,019, 597 $31, 701, 000

10, 346, 218 $33, 299, 000

+105, 470 -103, 933 -32, 592 +31, 671 -180, 562 +28,637 +3,610 +371, 257 +103, 519

-5, 915

+326, 621 +$1,598, 000

• Jackson and Jefferson include Elbert in 1921; Elbert and Pitkin in 1922; and Elbert in 1923.
Moffat, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco in 1919; Moffat and Rio Blanco in 1920; Moffat, Montezuma, Ouray,
Pitkin, and Rio Blanco in 1921; Moffat, Montezuma, Ouray, and Rio Blanco in 1922; and Archuleta,
Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco in 1923.

• No general canvass of wagon mines for 1921.

GEORGIA

Georgia reported an output in 1923 that was almost one-fourth greater than that of 1922 and the largest since 1917, and although the coal mining in this State is in some years limited to one operation there has been no break in the record for the State since 1860, the year it first reported a coal production. The output for 1923 was 75,620 tons, valued at $327,000, an increase in quantity of 14,984 tons and in value of $81,000. The mines were not in operation as many days but there were more employees than in the preceding TABLE 88.-Coal produced in Georgia, 1919–1923

year.

Net tons

Value

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Average number of days worked

ment

by employees

and heat

mines

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1920

15,961

791

3,600

29, 804

50, 156

251, 000

5.00

148

294

1921.

18,755

373

1,979

12,708

33, 815

171,000

2. 14

136

183

1922

41,809

535

2, 114

16, 178

60, 636

246,000

4.06

150

242

1923.

48, 172

733

2, 554

24, 161

75, 620

327,000

4.32

167

231

ILLINOIS

In 1923 the production of coal in Illinois was 79,310,075 tons, valued at $198,388,000, which was greater than the output not only of 1922 but also of 1921-in fact, there have been but three years in the history of the State which recorded a larger production than that of 1923-1917, 1918, and 1920. The output in 1923 was 20,842,339 tons, or 35.6 per cent, greater in quantity than in 1922, and $29,463,000, The average value, however, was or 17.4 per cent, greater in value.

less than in 1921 or 1922.

The mines worked on an average of only 158 days in 1923. For the first two months of the year car shortage was the principal cause

of idleness claimed by the operators; after that no market restricted the activity of the mines. Very little time was lost on account of mine disability or labor shortage or strikes.

In Figure 47 is shown the average tonnage produced per day by years from 1918 to 1922 and by months for 1923; and also the scale of spot prices per ton for southern, central, and standard Illinois coal for the same period. The chart reveals very clearly the peculiar

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FIGURE 47.-Production of coal per working day in Illinois, and trend of spot prices, run-of-mine, in three districts, 1918-1923. Data from Tables 78 and 79; spot prices as quoted by Coal Age

conditions of the market in 1923. In January the after-effects of the strike of 1922 were still felt. Consumers were buying to replenish their stocks, prices were high, and production was running at the limit of car supply. Continued purchasing for storage made the summer decline less sharp than usual. By late fall consumers had rebuilt their reserves, the peak of fall buying was correspondingly less pronounced, and in December prices were still softening and mines beginning to close.

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