BRITAIN'S COAL SUPPLY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 35, 26 September 1911, Page 8

BRITAIN'S COAL SUPPLY.

The controversy with regard to the length of life of the British coalfields began in 1865, when Professor Jevons announced that the amount of coal “in sight” was 83,000,000,000 tens and that the supply would ho exhausted in 1970. Other scientific men disputed this conclusion alt once, and a discussion extending ever nearly half a century lias left tho question still unsettled. At the present time, according to a recent cable message, Sir William Ramsay, who believes that Britain has urgent need to conserve her coal, is engaged in debating the question with the president of tho Association of Mining Engineers, a high authority who thinks that the fields will meet tho needs of the nation for six centuries to come. Some ten years ago a Royal Commission was instructed to prepare a report for the Imperial Parliament upon the coal supplies of tho United Kingdom, and this body evolved some stupendous figures. The final estimates, published in 1905, showed that there were 100,914,000,000 tors of coal available for use within the- proved coalfields and probably at least 39,483,000,000 tons in areas that had not boon fully prospected. In addition some 6,000,000,000 tons of the mincrr.il lay in convenient, depths or under sea close to the coast. Britain’s output of coal in 1909 was 263,000,000 tons, and at this rate of consumption the supply known to exist in 1905 in easily accessible positions would suffice for more than 500 years. During the last five years the discovery of new fields has improved the position materially. The direction in which the scientific men should turn their efforts was indicated very clearly by thg commission. An annual saving of from 40,000,000 tons to 60,000,000 tons could ho effected, tho experts urged, by simple economies and by the erection of central power stations in manufacturing districts. Sir William Ramsay lias been unceasing in his efforts to promote industrbS cooperation along these lines.