The decline of older industries

The decline of older industries.

1. Older industries suffered throughout the 1920s, especially the coal industry.
2. The coal industry suffered from competition with oil. This came from the motor industry, as cars began to take over as the new form of transportation, replacing trains, which was what a lot of coal was being used for. 10% less coal was mined in 1929 than in 1919. Technology was also being introduced that could replace workers, and remaining workers had decreased wages. Mining towns suffered the most from this.
3. The wool industry also collapsed. The most damaging part of this was when the boll weevil (cotton feeding beetle) destroyed 30% of cotton crops. After recovering in the mid-20s, the opposite, over-production, caused prices to drop dramatically.