VOL. XIV. (1) |THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS 13 
embraced by the preceding table, yet there zs reason to 
doubt whether much further increase will take place in 
this direction. Upon this point Committee E have 
reported that the probable development of the enormous 
coal-fields of North America, and those of India, China, 
Japan, and other countries, and the more efficient working 
of the known coal-fields of Europe, wz// probably prevent 
any considerable increase in the future exportation of 
British Coal.” (The italics are mine). 
How utterly mistaken the Commissioners were in their 
surmise is shown by the fact that the exportation of coal 
has gone on increasing, and in the year 1899 we exported 
no less than 55,810,024 tons, including 12,226,801 tons 
consumed by steamers engaged in foreign trade. 
In the matter of home consumption the Commissioners 
were remarkably correct. 
The estimates for 1899 were 162,400,000 tons; the 
actual figures were 164,284,757. 
In short, last year we drew from our natural stores of 
coal in the earth no less than 220,094,781 tons of coal. 
The question we naturally ask ourselves is—How long 
will the supply last? The Royal Coal Commission told 
us in 1871 that it would avail us 360 years. They, how- 
ever, did not take into consideration the enormous expor- 
tation of coal, nor did they lay sufficient stress on the fact 
that it is only certain seams of coal that pay to work. It 
may be said that when the superior seams are exhausted 
we must turn to the inferior ones. The answer is, if we 
work the inferior seams the cost of working will be greatly 
increased, and the effect of the combustion of the coal less ; 
therefore this again means increased cost of production in 
our industries. 
It may be said that Science will invent, or find out, 
substitutes for coal. This may be so, but to assume this 
for certain is practically to say that we trust to luck, which, 
