174 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



opoly. In 1840 the price was stated to be 18s. for round coal, the slack 

 beini^ of no value. 



Wlien it is stated that up to 1842 there had been about £180,000 

 invested in the Pictou mines, it is evident that the labours of twenty-five 

 3^ears had been anything but remunerative. In this year the association 

 represented to Lord Viscount Falkland, governor of the province, that 

 the association had raised from all the mines 39,333 Newcastle chaldrons, 

 and that being dependent on the United States for their market, they 

 were threatened with serious loss, as the American Government had 

 increased the duty from $1.00 to $2.20 per chaldron, and the completion 

 of the Heading and the Baltimore & Cumberland Eailways had materi- 

 ally lessened the cost of competing coal at the seaboard. The combined 

 duty and cheapened transport had led to a large consumption of anthra- 

 cite coal, and practically stopped the imports of Nova Scotia coal. In 

 consequence of this representation the compan}- was allowed to raise in 

 1843, 40,000 chaldrons for the payment of the fixed rent of £3,000 

 sterling, instead of 20,000. However, even with lowered prices for coal, 

 the shipments fell off 5,783 chaldrons in this year. This decline in output 

 led the governor to report adversely against a pr(5posal from the home 

 government to extend the privilege of raising a larger amount for the 

 fixed rental. 



Shortly after this a charter was granted the company by the Pro- 

 vincial Legislature, and a long law suit with the assignees of the Duke of 

 York settled. 



The complaints made by the association of the heavy burden imposed 

 on them by the rents and royalties were met by statements that the 

 operations of the company in Pictou had l)Con marked by needless extrav- 

 agance. 



A special report on the mines in 1841 was made to the Provmcial 

 Government by George Wightman. He reported, that not including 

 losses from underground fires estimated at £6,891, large losses lunl been 

 occasioned by the following causes : Unduly large purchases of real 

 estate, fluctuation in the management, unnecessarily expensive work, 

 waste of stores and materials, and imperfect system of works. 



His summary of the actual over exj)enditures made on works com- 

 pared with what would have been their fair cost amounted to £43,470. 

 He estimated that an efficient railway coukl have been built for £30,000 

 less than the actual cost. The cost incurred in securing a level road 

 being so high that the fixed charge thereby imposed per ton of coal carried 

 over it was in excess of the transport expenses incidental to a road hav- 

 ing a variety of grades. 



He quotes the experience of Carr, who worked jn-ior to 1827. on a 

 small scale, and mined coal at a cost of 10s. per chaldron, and retailed it 

 at 13s.. while the company working on a large scale with every appliance 



