ON MECHAMCAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF THK COAL QUESTION. 617 



such as wagons carrying a very much larger proportion of profit load to 

 deadweight and long leads, are able to convey coal at about one-quarter 

 of the cost per ton per mile which the best and most economically worked 

 of our English railways now charge to convey minerals in this country. 

 Fortunately for us the American coalfields are situate some distance from 

 the Atlantic seaboard. It is true that in regard to the item of dead- 

 weight our railways could also in this country considerably reduce their 

 costs by increasing the size of their mineral wagotis, but there exist again 

 other possibly more serious competitors even than America, which may 

 ultimately shut out the whole of the Eastern markets for manufactures 

 both from Europe and America — namely, China and Formosa. In China 

 enormous coalfields are believed to exist containing coals of the best 

 qualities, and only requiring capital development in railways and docks 

 and manufactures to enable it to become the greatest of our future com- 

 petitors, and to develop an extraordinary source of wealth. The extremely 

 low cost of labour alone will probably handicap the Western nations to an 

 extent which at present cannot be measured, and whether the period when 

 this competition will be seriously felt is distant, or imminent, the fact 

 itself of these coalfields existing in a country densely populated by a clever 

 and industrious race shoxild enforce the lesson to Great Britain of setting 

 her house in order. The argument may be even stronger as regards the 

 coalfields of Formosa,^ under Japanese rule, of which less is known, but 

 where probably coal will be found near the seaboards and in a parallel 

 position, as regards facilities for export, to our own coal deposits. 



Summarising the position, some portion of the inci-eased future cost of 

 working our coalfields can and will be met by improved mechanical 

 appliances in winding, hauling, pumping, and in cutting thin seams, and 

 by mining skill in improved ventilation, lighting, checking the increase of 

 temperature due to depth, raising larger quantities from each shaft, and a 

 partial readjustment of the cost of labour and royalties. 



The last named are already in process of being dealt with when the 

 conditions require it (see the Mining Royalty Commission Report of a few 

 years ago) ; but there will still remain a growing margin of increased cost 

 which cannot be dealt with either by the mechanical or mining engineer. 



There remains the question, therefore. What can be done in other 

 directions to counteract the inevitable increase of cost in working ? The 

 writer suggested in 1891, and now repeats that proposal with even 

 greater force, the time available being lessened by seven years, that the 

 nation should take the necessary steps now when it is practicable to 

 acquire the reversion of railways and docks, to enable the cost of railway 

 carriage for minerals, goods, and passengers, and dock dues to be ultimately 

 reduced if required to the bare cost of working. 



All capital invested in drainage, water, lighting, schools, parks, &c., 

 ought to be also repaid within the next sixty or sixty-five years, to admit 

 of a permanent reduction in the incidence of rates and taxes. 



Assume for the moment that this country were in the position of, say 

 the Continental States, in regard to the railways belonging to the State, 

 that all the capital expended upon railways, docks and harbours, water, 

 gas and electric lighting, and in all public improvements, &c. , belonging 



' Mr. Waiington Smyth informs me that there are few, if any, convenient 

 harbours in Formosa, that on the eastern part of the island there exists a range of 

 high mountains, and on the western side the sea is very shallow for a great distance 

 from the coast. 



