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Jone 9, 1923] 
NATURE 
767 

depended during the War, was maintained, must 
necessarily be interesting, but it becomes even more so 
when it is told by one who himself played a leading 
part in this strenuous work. In no other way would 
it have been possible for the public to gain even an 
insight into the elaborate and complex operations that 
were required in order to maintain the output of this 
_ indispensable fuel through the whole of that trying and 
anxious time. 
The inception of the present book is somewhat 
curious ; it is published under the auspices of the 
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in pur- 
suance apparently of a theory that the best way to 
prevent wars in the future is to explain all the details 
necessary to carry them on successfully. Whatever 
may be thought of this proposition, it has certainly 
given occasion for the publication of matter of the 
highest interest. Sir Richard’s narrative is chrono- 
logical, the leading events of each year, so far as the 
subject of coal supply is concerned, being grouped 
together. For much of what he has written he is and 
must remain the sole authority, but it can fairly be 
said that the description sounds very straightforward, 
and leaves on the reader’s mind a convincing im- 
pression of impartial accuracy. Coal control necessarily 
bulks very largely, and it need scarcely be said that 
Sir Richard writes of coal control from the point of 
view of one of the controllers ; it would no doubt have 
been an immense advantage to have had a companion 
chapter written by one of the controlled. The harrow 
_ appears to be remarkably well pleased with itself, but 
it is just possible that the toad may not be quite so 
appreciative. 
Sir Richard is of the opinion that upon the whole 
the coal control worked well ; and although it has been 
severely criticised in many quarters, the subject is so 
complex that it is difficult to see how any system could 
have been devised that would not be liable to many 
grave objections. Sir Richard, indeed, almost hints at 
defects when he points out, as he does in more than 
one passage, that direct financial control of the collieries 
might well have been avoided had it not been for the 
turbulence, selfishness, and disloyalty of one section of 
the industry—the coal miners of South Wales; he 
seems to think that their attitude rendered direct 
control absolutely necessary. 
In appointing the coal controller it was possibly 
right to select a man of business ability and the power 
of organisation and administration rather than one 
possessed of technical knowledge and experience in 
coal production ; but even though this may have been 
sound policy, it was certainly wrong to have chosen for 
his subordinates, for the men with whom the colliery 
manager would come into direct contact, so many who 
NO. 2797, VOL. 111] 
were unacquainted with mining matters. When a 
colliery manager found that the representative of the 
coal control, to whom he had to state his case and to 
whom the decision even in matters of great importance 
appeared often to be left, was absolutely ignorant of 
the elements of the mining industry, he naturally lost 
faith in the Department, and the coal control fell into 
disfavour, which could have been largely avoided had 
the subordinate executive of the coal control known 
more about coal mining. It may possibly not be true 
that the colliery manager who asked for a new winding 
rope 300 fathoms long was informed that the Depart- 
ment could not grant him more than 150 fathoms, or 
that a request addressed to the coal control for washed 
nuts was referred to the food controller ; but the mere 
fact that such stories were current shows well enough 
how little confidence the coal control department suc- 
ceeded in inspiring into the coal trade. 
Necessarily, the doings of the coal control and the 
various sub-departments into which it was divided 
make up the greater part of the book, but probably 
to many readers the final chapter, in which Sir Richard 
summarises the economic history of the coal industry 
and gives the conclusions which he himself draws from 
this review, will be the most interesting. At the present 
moment it is perhaps most important to point out that 
Sir Richard’s views have matured since he gave his 
evidence before the Sankey Commission; he there 
carefully avoided expressing any decided views on the 
nationalisation of collieries, and went so far as to say 
that in his opinion no man can say whether mines 
would be as efficiently run if they are centralised and 
run as a national concern as they are under present 
conditions. Now he writes very differently: ‘‘ Com- 
plete freedom of action for those engaged in the 
management is absolutely essential to the successful 
conduct of so highly organised and technical an industry 
as that of coal-mining. Where an industry has to be 
conducted under a great diversity of conditions the 
edicts of a central authority stand in constant need of 
modification as they are applied to particular cases. 
Otherwise work will be conducted wrong-headedly and 
in defiance of material facts. True as this is of all 
great industrial concerns, it is particularly so in the 
case of mining.”’ ‘‘ Whatever results may accrue from 
such a policy [7.e. nationalisation], from the record of 
observation I find great difficulty in believing that it 
would make for efficiency. . . . Even if nationalised 
control were not vetoed by the inherent physical 
difficulties of the case, it would still have the dis- 
advantage of removing from the industry the great 
energising forces of personal responsibility and in- 
itiative.” 
If this book did nothing else than record in such 
