BRITAIN'S DWINDLING COAL

Southland Times, Issue 16842, 19 September 1911, Page 5

BRITAIN'S DWINDLING COAL

[By Telegraph.—Prtau Association.—Copyright.] LONDON, September 18. An interesting newspaper controversy is proceeding between Sir William Ramsay and Dr Wilson, president of the Association of Mining Engineers, who ai-' leges that the British coal supply will endure for six hundred years. At the British Association at Portsmouth last month Sir William Ramsay (the great chemist), In a presidential address on the sources of energy, declared that scientific advance In Britain had been hindered by defective technical education. The country should cultivate the application of trained intelligence to all forms of national activity. Referring to the exhaustion of British coal supplies, he said that they might look forward to the approach of famine and misery. The British Science Guild had investigated the available sources of energy and found no practical substitute for coal. They must look to a more economical use of coal to prolong the life of the nation. They should adopt legislative measures to prevent waste. Sir William computes that the British coal measures at the present rate of working will be exhausted in 175 years.