ON COAL-CUTTING MACHINERY. 177 



imposed by the Legislature, there is found already at every colliery in the 

 country a deficiency of hands to fully man the works now existing ; and coal 

 has in consequence been scarce and exorbitantly dear. The consumption 

 goes on increasing ; the continual enlargement of the old iron works, and 

 the establishment of new ones in new districts, indicate a progressive en- 

 largement in the demand for coal, unless a general collapse in our foreign 

 commerce should, through high prices of production, come upon the country. 



New coal-fields, too, are sought after ; and new pits are being opened in 

 every direction, at enormously increased cost ; and the question naturally 

 arises, where are the colliers to come from to work them, or how is the in- 

 creased demand to be reasonably met ? 



Labourers from the agricultural districts, and other unskilled workmen, 

 may, through the influence of high wages, be drawn off to the mines ; but it is 

 only in " dead work " where they can be immediately made use of, and only 

 a small proportion make eificient " pickmen." 



By the figures laid before Mr. Ayrton's Committee of the House of Com- 

 mons (1873), it appears that whilst in 1871 the average production of coal 

 per man was 313 tons, it had declined to 296 tons per man in 1872. There 

 had been an increase in the number of persons employed at and about the 

 mines of 42,184. The disturbance which has been felt in nearly every other 

 occupation seems to me to be traceable to the heavy drafts which have been 

 made upon them to supply the increased demand for the coal and iron trades 

 during the last two years ; and until stagnation and distress in those trades 

 shall throw back the suffering masses again upon their former employment, 

 that disturbance must continue, with all its inconveniences. 



A. continuance of the present high price of coal may, and I think will, 

 make itself felt upon the foreign commerce of this country. I believe, how- 

 ever, that a decided modification of these evils may be found in the speedy 

 adoption of coal-cutting machinery. 



Other countries are now turning their attention vigorously to the employ- 

 ment of coal-getting machinery ; and it is not improbable that foreigners will 

 in this matter take the lead in the employment of an invention purely English. 



In the earlier stages of machine-working, it was contended that the " creep " 

 of the floors, and the natural disturbances of the strata, would so dislocate 

 or break the joints of the air-pipes, that continuous working could not be 

 carried on, the out-put would be intermittent and uncertain, and the cost 

 of compressing the air would be enormous and overwhelming to the 

 enterprise. 



The coal-owners during many years had had an unprofitable trade, and 

 they were unwilling to encounter a considerable outlay of new capital in the 

 work incident to the new system, which, indeed, had not then met with the 

 approbation of the engineers and mining agents, whUst tlie mining inspectors, 

 with very few exceptions, were decidedly mistrustful of the success of the 

 invention. There were others who believed that the heavy work which they 

 saw done would knock the machines to pieces, and that they could not stand 

 the test of long-continued service. 



Five or six years, however, of regular and daily working of the machines 

 at Ardsley and elsewhere have effectually negatived these fears. 



In the collier class there is a good deal of professional pride or esprit de 

 corps, especially amongst the older men. There was, and still is, an unwill- 

 ingness to give up the social dignity which they consider belongs to the 

 expert wielder of the time-honoured pick ; and some of them have been heard 

 to declare that they " would adhere to the ancient implement to the end of 



1873. N 



