TABLE 148.-Coal produced in Virginia, 1919–1923, in net tons Pulaski includes Scott in 1919 and 1920; Chesterfield in 1921; and Chesterfield and Scott in 1922 and 1923. No canvass of wagon mines for 1921. WASHINGTON The production of coal in 1923 in Washington was 2,926,392 tons, valued at $10,894,000. Compared with 1922 this was an increase of 345,227 tons, or 13.4 per cent in quantity, and of $615,000, or 6 per cent in value, the result of more days in operation, for the number of employees fell off. The trend of daily production (fig. 51) exhibited the seasonal aspect characteristic of the Northwestern States. TABLE 150.-Coal produced in Washington, 1919-1923, in net tons • Includes Skagit 1919-1921; small mines in 1920, 1922, and 1923; and Cowlitz in 1923 No canvass of wagon mines for 1921. WEST VIRGINIA West Virginia mined more coal in 1923 than ever before in any one year, forging ahead of her output in 1920, the former record year for the State, and for the first time passing the 100,000,000-ton mark. All the counties of any importance showed gains except McDowell and Mercer, although there were fewer wagon mines in operation. The net increase in quantity, compared with 1922, was 27,411,749 tons, or 34.1 per cent, and in value $49,319,000, or 20.9 per cent. The total output was 107,899,941 tons, valued at $285,481,000. The average number of days the mines were in operation in 1923 was 169, larger than in 1921 and 1922, but less than in 1918, 1919, or 1920. In no month of 1923 did the average daily tonnage drop to the average level of any one of the five preceding years. (See fig. 59.) Thus against a daily average in 1920 of a little more than 292,000 tons, the daily rate in 1923 ranged from 300,000 tons in February to 398,000 tons in July and August. The spot prices per ton for smokeless and Kanawha coal for the period 1918 to 1923 are also shown in Figure 59. In January, 1923, smokeless coal brought $5.95 a ton, but it declined almost steadily to $1.97 in December; Kanawha coal began the year with an average price of $3.52 and ended with $1.63. |