44 



PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION A. 



for the three principal industrial countries, which supply over 

 80 per cent, of the total coal, is s^iven in Tahle VII.* 



Table VII. 



Coal Production of the United States, Great Britain, and Ger- 

 many. — Quinquennial Averages 1900 to 1914. — Millions of 

 tons per annum. 



United States, (ireat Britain. rierman\'. 



iyoo-4 288.2 



1905-9 400.5 



1910-14 519-2 



Approximate percentage rate 

 of increase (compound in- 

 interest) f 6.0 



2.0 



4.0 



A painful feature of coal-mining is the fact thai much of 

 the coal is left underground and wasted. This amount was 

 stated hy the Royal Commission on Coal Supplies to be 25 per 

 cent. 



And the case is even worse in South Africa, where the seams 

 are thick, and where the higher grade part only is mined. Pro- 

 fessor Bone says: "The question of cliecking this wastage is 

 one of supreme national importance. Much of the coal now 

 left in the mine ought to be ])rought up and- converted at the 

 j>ithead into useful forms of energy and products for pubHc 

 purposes. Some jx'ople put it forward as an argument in favour 

 of the nationalisation of mines, and ni(i>t of us will. I suppose, 

 agree that the nation should i)ossess and exercise some power 

 of control or supervision in such a matter." 



In the paper already referred to. .Mr. I Hller gives the follow- 

 ing diagram (Fig. 23). showing the annual output and the 



PlC_ 23.— Full line shows annual output of c<Ki\ in tlie Uniu-<l l\ni-(loni. 

 Dotted line shows annual c-xp^rt of coal from llic Tnilrd l\in;.;(l<ini. 



amount exported, which in 1913 was 34 |)er cent, of the gross 

 output. This question of export is one which is seriously exer- 



■'J.S.C.I.. April T5, ifyi6 



