349 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

the Mediterranean, the United States can certainly supply fuel calulated
 to satisfy requirements.

Moreover Lord Rhondda, the head of the Cambrian Combine, and
the leading figure in British coal circles, has made careful studies
of the character and availability of coals from the United States for
use in his bunker and export trade. As a result of these studies, he
is understood to have made some investments in American coal lands
and to have established a coal shipping company in New York. In
this connection he was reported as saying in July, 1913:
f regard the coals in the New River and Pocahontas fields as being
the best high carbon coals to be obtained in your country and 1
hope * * * T will be able to become interested in properties in
these fields, from which to draw coal for the foreign depots and
markets in which I am interested.

AMERICAN COAL CHEAPER AT TIDEWATER. :

In South Wales coal is mined from deep and thin measures. In
the Appalachian field in the United States it is taken from thick
seams outcropping along mountain sides, or lying a comparatively
short distance below the surface, and the fullest use is made of
every kind of modern mechanical equipment. In consequence the
cost of mining coal is about twice as high in Wales as in the Appalachian
 fields, nor is this offset by the closer proximity of the
Welsh mines to the sea. It thus results that Welsh coal at tidewater
docks normally is much higher in price than Appalachian coals at
Atlantic and Gulf ports. For example, in April, 1914, West Virginia
and Cardiff coals were quoted as follows at tidewater:
New River and Pocahontas at Hampton Roads ports, $2.85 to
$2.90 per ton.
Best Admiralty large at Cardiff, $4.62 to $4.74 (19s. to 19s. 6d.).
Best second Admirality large at Cardiff. $4.26 to $4.38 (17s. 6d.
0 18s.).2 }
Similarly the prices of central Pennsylvania coal at New York,
Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and of Birmingham coal at Mobile and
New Orleans are much below the prices on the Cardiff docks. With
the development of coal shipments by the newly opened river route
from the Alabama fields to Mobile the latter district may soon be
offering export coal at prices decidedly below those now ruling at
Atlantic ports for Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania
 coals.
Such differences in price as those noted above far more than compensate
 for any possible inferiority of the American coals, and, but

The Black Diamond, July 5, 1913, p. 27.
The Black Diamond, May 2, 1914, p. 359,