THE COMPETITION OF THE UNITED STATES. 519 



The cost of mining coal has increased in Britain as in other Euro- 

 pean countries, whereas it has decreased in America. In 1885 the 

 average price of European coal at the mine was $1.62, and in the United 

 States $1.58; in 1899 the European price was $1.96, while that in the 

 United States had fallen to $1.10. The average depth of the seams in 

 America is much less and their width is considerably greater. It is 

 remarkable that though the output of the mines of the United Kingdom 

 was less in 1901 than in 1900, the number of employees was 24,661 

 greater. This increase was, I believe, entirely in the coal mines, in 

 which the decrease of output was over six million tons. 



Of course the character of the two peoples counts for much. The 

 power of the initiative of the American, his shrewdness and his energy 

 give him an advantage and contrast with the Englishman's inertness, 

 self-complacency and policy of laissez faire. A case was cited in the 

 London Mining Journal of a firm in Australasia that sent to a British 

 firm for a catalogue of prices. Instead of sending the catalogue, the 

 British firm wrote for evidence of the bona fides of the presumable cus- 

 tomer. The latter thereupon sent to the United States and received 

 three large and well illustrated catalogues, and so became a customer of 

 the American firm. It is safe to say that the majority of colonial mer- 

 chants would prefer to deal with Britain if they could obtain the goods 

 they require at the same cost and with the same ease and quickness, 

 but sentiment must not be too much strained. 



Not only is the British merchant slow to adapt himself to the wants 

 of his customers, but the British manufacturer is slow to change old 

 processes and to adopt new machinery. Workmen are seldom encour- 

 aged to suggest improvements in methods and machinery as they are in 

 the United States. It is fair to say that British workmen are not very 

 ready to make suggestions for the improvement of machinery since they 

 have a prejudice against machinery, though any that come to America, 

 where they find it an advantage to exercise their ingenuity, show that 

 they can compete in inventiveness with their fellow-workmen in the 

 United States. In Britain, however, workmen, as a rule, look upon 

 machinery as a disadvantage. They consider that an improved machine 

 means less hand work, and that the machine takes the bread out of the 

 mouth of the honest laborer. 



In 1901 there were in Britain no more than 311 coal cutting ma- 

 chines in use, while in Pennsylvania alone there were 3,125, or ten 

 times as many. In the United States there was an output of 493 tons 

 per man employed, in Britain only 318 tons. 



The English workmen will not use machines at their full capacity, 

 even when the machines are provided. Most of the British match 

 factories, being under American control, use American machinery; but 



