IF OUR COAL SUPPLY FAILS.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 288, 9 June 1909, Page 8

IF OUR COAL SUPPLY FAILS.

m . Considerable interest has bden evinced in the speech, recently delivered by Mr William Ramsay, ■ in which he dealt with, the future of the coal supply of England. . Interviewed by a press representative, ho said within not more than 200 years, or even less, the high, prices , of coal will render the conditions of living very difficult. Tbe oilfields are rapidly becoming exhausted, and the whole of the available water power in Europe is estimated not to exceed two milli6n horse-power, and; it is probably that in England alone 100 million horse power is being expended at the present day. There are two possible alternatives. One. is to 'obtain a supply of heat, in the form of steam, by drilliiig a hole in the earth's crust at least ton miles deep. Such a project has been 'considered from a- practical point of view by Mr Parsons, of Turbine f anio, and his verdict is that the execution of the project would cost £5,000,000, and could not be accomplished under . 80 y-eairs. The other source of energy which is conceivably at, the disposal of the human race would rest upon some discovery of a • means .of extracting 1 energy from the .ethei-. "I can only say that in the view of the best scientific opinion the possibility of such a discovery is in the highest degree remote. The. present i generation should exercise thought for the generations to como. by conserving the stores of coal existing in England." Otherwise in two hundred years he foresaw a general emigration from England to other countries, and the decay of the industries dependent upon coal for their energy. Then such people as remained -in the country would be compelled to revert to agriculture to obtain the ] means to live.