40 Reviews — Leif child — Coal at Home and Abroad. 



In 1812 we gave France a small quantity of coal. In 1822, how- 

 ever, we sent there 31,000 tons ; in 1832 we exported as much as 

 37,000 tons ; and in 1842 no less than 490,000 tons. Advancing to 

 1852, the birth of the Second Empire, France obtained from us 

 652,000 tons. In 1862 it was found that the growth of manufactur- 

 ing industry was so considerable that it had enlarged the coal 

 demand of France upon us to 1,306,255 tons ; while, in 1872. it 

 rose to 2,191,340 tons ! " (p. 13.) 



France has greatly increased her own coal-extraction, but she will 

 not lessen her drain upon our resources. Germany also is a con- 

 sumer of English coals, but in a less degree than France. South 

 America took one million of tons, and Eussia three-quarters of a 

 million of tons of coal, in 1872. 



" The total amount of coal shipped by us last year to foreign coun- 

 tries was 12,092,000 tons, showing an increase of 302,027 tons over 

 the shipments of the previous year, and every year our exports have 

 been increasing, although it was thought in 1869 that we had surely 

 arrived at a maximum when we shipped nearly ten and a half millions 

 of tons, and including coke and anthracite, actually 10,837,804 tons!" 

 (p. 14.) 



In briefly noticing the causes so clearly brought forward by Mr. 

 Leifchild for the increased consumption of coal, there are others 

 also alluded to which at present operate to diminish the downward 

 tendency of the cost of production, such as advanced wages, larger 

 profits, and increased exports. The latter is a difficult subject for 

 legislation, seeing that it clashes with private interests and interferes 

 with our free trade policy ; still it is of the utmost importance when 

 we take into consideration the general quality of the coal exported 

 and the effects arising therefrom. We have long advocated a re- 

 strictive duty on exported coal because the coal-fields yielding two 

 of our very best and most valuable kinds of fuel, namely. Household 

 and Steam Coal, such as are furnished by the Newcastle-upon-Tyne 

 District on the one hand, and the South Wales Coal Field on the 

 other, are peculiarly favourably situated for easy shipment. More- 

 over it is a well-known fact that good as is some of the coal of the 

 Lancashire and Midland Counties, the coals of the Northern District 

 are considered of better quality, and realize in our own markets the 

 highest price, whilst the South Welsh coal is most valuable for our 

 steam navy. 



The export therefore of so large a part of our best fuel to countries 

 less favoured than ourselves enables them in part to husband their 

 more limited resources for future times, when the same amicable 

 relations between ourselves and other countries might not exist. 



It is moreover a source of exhaustion, and taking into considera- 

 tion our own rapidly increasing coal-requiring population, it is of 

 the highest political importance that we should look to our home- 

 interests first. 



With an advanced price of coal our industries must be to some 

 extent paralysed, especially if, from our isolated position, we should 

 ever become as a nation, importers instead of exporters of coal. 



