42 



A pamphlet on Pulverized Fuel, by Mr. W. J. Dick, is now in the 

 press and will be issued at an early date. In August last, your Assist- 

 ant to Chairman addressed the Professional Meeting of the Engineer- 

 ing Institute of Canada at Saskatoon on Fuels oj Western Canada and 

 their more Efficient Utilization and, later, expanded it for publication. 



FUEL SHORTAGE 



Since our organization nine years ago, we have given special 

 attention to fuel problems, as we recognized that, sooner or later, 

 a combination of circumstances would cause a shortage of fuel. 



In February, 1917, we issued a news letter, warning 

 Commission , i • ^l • f r i • 



Gives Warning consumers to lay in their supphes ot coal imme- 

 diately, in view of the probability, almost a certainty, 

 that there would be a shortage. It was widely reproduced throughout 

 Canada and the fact that, during the next four months, the anthra- 

 cite imports were much above normal indicates that it had a very 

 material effect. 



Our survey of the underlying conditions had convinced 

 Reduced^ "^^ ^ "^'^ that, unless conditions were unusually favourable, 

 the mines of the United States would not produce 

 sufficient anthracite for our needs in Canada. The great bulk of 

 the anthracite is consumed in the Northeastern and North Central 

 states and in Canada. Owing to the the enormous development of 

 industries connected with the war, there had been a great influx of 

 population into the Northeastern and Atlantic states north of the 

 Potomac, the addition to the population o Massachusetts, New 

 Hampshire, New York. Pennsylvania and Maryland, since 1911, 

 being estimated at 5,000,000, or 15 per cent. The tremendous con- 

 gestion of freight in this industrial area, the removal of millions of 

 men from the producing to the non-producing class, and the trans- 

 ference of increasingly large numbers of men to ship-building, 

 munitions, and other highly-paid war industries, and other factors 

 could have only one effect, namely, an insufficient supply of anthra- 

 cite in Canada. 



In March, 1918, our conclusions were strikingly verified by the 

 announcement of the United States Fuel Administrator that we would 

 receive only 77 per cent of the anthracite imported by us in 1917-18. 

 which amount had been found insutificient. Commencing in Decem- 

 ber, 1917, we had urged a greatly increased cutting of wood fuel, 

 and the increased production materially assisted in tiding over the 

 shortage of anthracite last autumn. Had the war continued till 

 the spring of this year (1919) and had we even had a normal winter, 

 conditions in many parts of Canada would have been serious. 



