December 1, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



757 



foundation of the Spalding Gentlemen's So- 

 ciety, in 1T09, the society has recently built a 

 home for its library and museum, which also 

 includes a magnificent lecture theater, com- 

 mittee rooms, etc. The new building was 

 opened on October 25 by Sir Henry H. Ho- 

 worth, K.C.I.E., F.E.S., who referred to the 

 extraordinary fact that a society should have 

 carried on its work for two centuries and 

 should then be in a position to purchase a 

 building for its treasures. In the evening 

 there was a public lecture on " The Eomans in 

 Lincolnshire," by Mr. T. Sheppard, in which he 

 described many thousand relics of the Roman 

 period, now in the museum at Hull, from a 

 little-known site on the north Lincolnshire 

 coast. Sir Harry Howorth occupied the chair. 

 During the day Mr. Sheppard also gave an 

 address on the use and value of local museums. 



Is the general estimates for appropriations 

 for the fiscal year 1912, which begins July 1, 

 1912, Secretary of the Interior Walter L. 

 Fischer has recommended the following items 

 for the Bureau of Mines: For the investiga- 

 tion as to the causes of mine explosions, meth- 

 ods of mining, especially in relation to the 

 safety of miners, the appliances best adapted 

 to prevent accidents, the possible improvement 

 of conditions under which mining operations 

 are carried on, the use of explosives and elec- 

 tricity, the prevention of accidents, and other 

 inquiries and technologic investigations perti- 

 nent to the mining industry, $360,000. For 

 the investigation, analyzing and testing of the 

 ooals, lignites and other mineral fuel sub- 

 stances belonging to or for the use of the 

 United States, $135,000. For investigations 

 into the treatment of ores and other mineral 

 substances, with special reference to the pre- 

 vention of waste in the mining and utilization 

 of important mineral resources, $100,000. For 

 the investigations of the coals of Alaska, with 

 reference to their mining, transportation and 

 utilization, $50,000. 



The total coal production of the world in 

 1910 was approximately 1,800,000,000 short 

 tons, of which the United States contributed 

 about 39 per cent. This country has far out- 



stripped all others, and in 1910, according to 

 the United States Geological Survey, it ex- 

 ceeded Great Britain, which ranks second, by 

 over 200,000,000 tons. Great Britain's produc- 

 tion in 1910 was less than 60 per cent, of that 

 of the United States, and Germany's was less 

 than half. The increase in both of these coun- 

 tries in 1910 over 1909 was comparatively 

 small, whereas the increase in the United 

 States was nearly equal to the entire pro- 

 duction of France and was more than the 

 total production of any foreign country except 

 Great Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary and 

 France. The United States has held first place 

 among the coal-producing countries of the 

 world since 1899, when it surpassed Great 

 Britain. In the 11 years since 1899 the annual 

 output of the United States has nearly doubled, 

 from 253,741,192 short tons to 501,596,378 tons, 

 whereas that of Great Britain has increased 

 only 20 per cent., from 246,506,155 short tons 

 to 296,007,699 tons. The following table shows 

 the coal production of the principal countries 

 of the world in 1910, except those for which 

 only the 1909 figures are available : 



United States (1910) 501,596,378 



Great Britain (1910) 296,007,699 



Germany (1910) 245,043,120 



Austria-Hungary (1909) 54,573,788 



France (1910) 42,516,232 



Belgium (1910) 26,374,986 



Russia and Finland (1910) 24,967,095 



Japan (1909) ]6,505,418 



Canada (1910) 12,796,512 



China (1909) 13,227,600 



India (1909) 13,294,528 



New South Wales (1909) 7,862,264 



Spain (1909) 4,546,713 



Transvaal (1910) 4,446,477 



Natal (1910) 2,572,012 



New Zealand (1909) 2,140,597 



Mexico (1909) 1,432,990 



Holland (1909) 1,235,515 



Queensland and Victoria 1,119,708 



Italy (1909) 611,857 



Sweden (1909) 272,056 



Cape Colony (1909) 103,519 



Tasmania (1909) 93,845 



Other countries 5,236,903 



Total 1,278^577,812 



