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98. I introduce those uses into my table by computing the coal equivalent of each of them. Thereby the consumption of hydro-electric power, which is expressed originally in terms of kilowatt hours, is by me for present purposes expressed in terms of pounds of coal. Similarly is expressed the use of fuel oil, which is originally reported in terms of barrels. These transformations involve certain engineering generalizations, and possibly some error, but the extent of the latter, if there be any, will be immaterial.

My table also shows the consumption of petroleum per person, expressed in pounds. This figure comprises the American consumption of petroleum in all forms and for all purposes, viz. as fuel oil, lubricating oil, kerosene, and gasoline. The great increase in the consumption of petroleum is ascribable partly to the more extensive use of it as a fuel, in substitution for coal, but mainly to the greater use of gasoline which is directly attributable to the automobile.

These statistics show a greatly diminished use of anthracite coal per person in 1920-22 as compared with 1912-14, a greatly diminished use of soft coal and on the other hand great increases in the coal equivalents of water power and fuel oil. In the aggregate there was a small diminution in the consumption of fuels. This might be in part ascribable to improvements in the generation of power from coal, which without any doubt have been of an important nature during the last decade. Whatever there may have been in that way however is not wholly a net gain, inasmuch as it has been partially offset by the charges on the capital invested to effect it. It may be further remarked that the substitution for hydraulic power for coal is not clear