FUEL BRIQUETS AND PACKAGED FUEL 1013


 The values, by States, in the following table represent the average per
ton received by operators in 1940 and 1941 and show the increased average
realization at plants in 1941; similar advances also obtained in the other
six producing States but cannot be shown because there were less than three
operators in each State. As many plants sell to both consumers and retailers,
the values do not represent the price per ton to consumers but indicate the
average per ton received by producers on the total product (exclusive of
delivery charges). The value at the plant comprises cost of ëoal at
mine, freight rate, direct manufacturing cost, indirect manufacturing cost,
and profit.

Average value received per net ton of packaged fuel, 1940—41

State 1940 1941 State 1940 1941
Illinois $9.58 $10.69 Missouri $7.14 $8.19
Indiana 7.81 9.06 Ohio 8.29 9,23
Michigan 7.93 8.54 Wisconsin 8.67 9.15
Minnesota 10. 15 10.82



 The p!ak producing season is generally from October through April. The sharp
rise beginning in September 1940 continued through March 1941 but dropped
sharply in April and May. Production for. the 1941—42 heating season
was behind the previous season's record.from September through December 1941—due
largely to the warmer-than-normal temperatures in the North Central States
that produce most of the output.
 Twenty-nine plants operated each month of the year,. 58 from 7 to 11 months,
and 16 from 2 to 6 months.

Monthly production of packaged fuel in the United States, 1940—41,
in net tons
Month
1940
1941
Month
1940
1941
January        .
February               
March                 
April                  
May                 
June                  
July                   
36,160
29,460
34,035
31,518
17,429
2,811
2,669
39,594
37,727
40,893
17,592
6,318
5,028
7,101
August 7,350September 21,680October 29,564November 36, 181December 35,656
~ 284,513

10,184
17,423
27,183
30,506
30.266
 — 269,844
 Number of plants.—One hundre.d and three plants reported production
of packaged fuel on a commercial scale in 1941 (3 less than in 1940); 96of
these were also active in 1940, but 6 additional plants—in Michigan,
Minnesota, and Missouri—began operations on a small scale in 1941.
Eight of the 103 plants went out of business after operating part of the
year.
 Fourteen plants went out of business in 1941—the same number as in
1940. Since 1935 many plants have established themselves firmly and built
up a stable business; however, during the development period of the packaged-fuel
business a relatively large number of plants began to operate and soon thereafter
went out of business. Records show that from 1935 to 1941, inclusive, of
the 133 plants starting operations 43 went out of business. Cost of raw materials,
prices of competing fuels, and, more recently, shortages of paper and