MINING 



whose known coal supplies have previously been of a lignitic character, large deposits of 

 good coal have been discovered in the Powlett River district, and pits have been estab- 

 lished under government direction; these are now producing quantities of coal. 



On the Continent of Europe, further knowledge has been derived by borings of the 

 extent and character of the deposits in the French and German Lorraine. In Belgium a 

 number of shafts were in 1912 nearing completion in the Campine region in the Limburg 

 province, and borings in Hainault had succeeded in locating coal at workable depths, to 

 the south of the Eifelian fault, the boundary of the existing coalfields. Dutch state 

 enterprise has been extended in the Netherlands Limburg, by the discovery of further 

 areas on the banks of the Meuse. 



In Great Britain some of the new large collieries sunk in the S.E. portion of the South 

 Yorkshire coalfield have reached the stage of active work, of which mention may be 

 made of Maltby, Edlington, Bentley, Bulcroft and Askern; sinking operations also were 

 in 1912 either in progress or contemplated at Rossington, Barnborough, Thome, Hat- 

 field, Barnby-upon-Don, Kelham, South Carr, Harworth, Howden and Thurcroft. 

 When in full operation, they should add some 1 2,000, ooo tons per annum to the existing 

 output of the coalfield or about five per cent to the national output. Developments 

 have also been in progress in South Staffordshire to the west of the boundary fault, 

 Warwickshire, Fifeshire, the Lothians, Monmouthshire, Kent and South-East Durham. 



The table shows the world's output of coal during 1910 (figures for 1909 and 1908 

 being given in certain cases as the latest procurable) : 



Country 

 British Empire . 



Great Britain and Ireland 



Australia . 



British Borneo 



Canada 



India . 



New Zealand 



Rhodesia . 



South Africa . 

 United States . 

 Austria-Hungary 

 Bosnia and Herzegovina 

 Belgium 

 Brazil (est.) . 

 Bulgaria (1909) 

 Chile (1909) 

 China (est.) . 

 France 



Indo-China 

 German Empire 

 Greece . 



COAL-CUTTING MACHINERY. At the time the Eight Hours Act of 1908 (E. B. xvi, 

 i8b) was under discussion in England it was persistently claimed that a great mitigation 

 for the loss of output due to the restriction of the hours of labour would be forthcoming 

 in the more general use of coal-cutting machinery. This anticipation has not been borne 

 out; the application of machinery in Great Britain increases but slowly, the governing 

 factors continuing to be the condition and lie of the strata and the relative cost of hand 

 labour. The principal developments have been in the direction of improved design and 

 mechanical efficiency. 



Coal-cutting machines may be broadly divided into two classes percussive and 

 rotary machines and there is a tendency to employ increased numbers of the former 

 type, especially of the small character similar to the caulking hammer. Continued 

 efforts have been made to produce a satisfactory electrical machine of the puncher type, 

 but so far without conspicuous success. In America the pneumelectric puncher has been 



