88 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



Kisen Kaisha on the trans-Pacific run, originally fitted for burning oil, 

 have been altered to bum coal because of the absence of an oil supply- 

 in Japan and difficulties over the tariff, on oil imported into that country. 

 This fact is notable in that it is almost the only instance of a large user 

 of oil going back to coal-burning. The trans-Pacific steamers in general 

 bum coal. The reason for that lies in part in the conservatism of the 

 management, but also in part in the low cost of coal in Japan, low cost 

 of Oriental labour available in the fire rooms, and excess of cargo space 

 which has permitted Pacific Mail boats, for example, to take coal at 

 Nagasaki for the round trip. In general, however, California oil not 

 only dominates the fuel situation on land along the Pacific coast, but is 

 rapidly being substituted for coal on the sea. On land, for transporta- 

 tion and manufacturing, the most important competitor of fuel oil is 

 hydro-electric power. Here the race is between low overhead charges 

 and low operating costs, and at competing centres such as San Francisco, 

 the two are about equal." 



Because the greatest supplies of oil fuel are to be found in Southern 

 California, its use on an extensive scale has naturally first taken place 

 along the Pacific coast, where cheap water transportation is available. 

 This tendency has been much strengthened by the fact that coal is 

 relatively scarce and expensive, or of unsatisfactory quality, along the 

 Pacific Coast of the United States. 



It has been confidently predicted, that, with the opening of the Pan- 

 ama Canal, oil will become the fuel of the Gulf and Atlantic coast 

 vessels and of the railroads of the Mississippi Basin. The extent to 

 which such use is likely to increase in Eastern and Central Canada is 

 problematical, though a material development in this respect must be 

 anticipated. In the meantime, a long step toward the solution of the 

 problem for Canada and the Atlantic Coast in general, has been taken 

 by the great development of oil supplies in Mexico. 



Should a satisfactory source of oil fuel be developed in Canada, 

 so that it could be supplied for a long period, in large quantities and at a 

 low cost, the market would be practically tuilimited. In this connec- 

 tion, it must be recognized that the potential sources of oil fuel are very 

 great in the extensive deposits of oil shales in New Brunswick and Nova 

 Scotia, and in the regions around Fort McMiuray and Fort McKay on 

 the Athabasca river, Alberta, where enormous deposits of tar sand 

 have been found. 



Although the relationship between oil fuel and fire protection along 

 railways is the principal subject of this discussion, it may be of interest 

 first to consider briefly some of the other uses and advantages of this 

 relatively new fuel. 



