coke ovens these gases by proper treatment yield valuable coal tar products and ammonia. It is estimated that the sum of the value of the products thus recovered from a ton of coal multiplies the value of the ton of coal at the mine by at least thirteen times. The importance of this fact from the conservational standpoint cannot be too much emphasized. At present over half of the total coke produced in the United States comes from by-product ovens, and this proportion will doubtless increase in the future.
BALANCE SHEET SHOWING CONTRAST BETWEEN VALUE OF 1 TON OF BITUMINOUS COAL AT MINE AND VALUE OF PRODUCTS WHICH IT CONTAINS, BASED ON CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN 1915.1
| Value of mine, 1915 | Quantity | Value at point of production, 1915 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ton (2,000 pounds) | 1,500 pounds smokeless fuel | $5.00 2 | |
| bituminous coal | 10,000 cubic feet gas, | 9.00 3 | |
| contains | $1.13 = | at 90c. per 1,000 | |
| 22 pounds ammonium | .61 | ||
| sulphate at 2.8c. | |||
| 2-½ gallons benzol, at 30c. | .75 4 | ||
| 9 gallons tar, at 2.6c. | .23 4 | ||
| Total | $1.13 5 | $15.59 | |
| 1 Gilbert, Chester G., and Pogue, Joseph E., The energy resources of the United States—A field for reconstruction: Bull. 102, U. S. National Museum , vol. 1, 1919, p. 11. | |||
| 2 Figure based upon approximate selling price of anthracite. | |||
| 3 Figure based upon average price of city gas. | |||
| 4 These figures would be much higher if an adequate coal products industry were in existence. | |||
| 5 This figure shows clearly that lowering the cost of production cannot be expected to lower the price of coal. Even if the cost of production were eliminated, the price of coal would merely be a dollar less. |