The Supply and Waste of Goal. 325 



in smoke is as serious a loss as it is a great public nuisance ; 

 coal escaping in smoke is absolute waste, for smoke is nothing 

 more than unconsumed fuel. Sir William Armstrong, in his 

 recent address to the members of the British Association at 

 Newcastle, has alluded to this, and has pointed out how wasteful 

 our use is of this important element of national wealth. 



After all, then, what is the probable duration of coal in 

 England? The grand total being 170,400 millions of tons, 

 only one-fourth of this can be regarded as in any sense avail- 

 able, after making all the deductions alluded to, and thus the 

 supply is reduced to 42,600 millions of tons. From this must 

 be deducted what has been already used and wasted, and this 

 is a very important part of the whole in several large districts. 

 It is impossible fairly to estimate more than 35,000 millions as 

 remaining; and, since the present calculated consumption ap- 

 proaches a hundred millions of tons per annum, and is steadily 

 increasing, there is nothing unreasonable in the startling con- 

 clusion arrived at by Sir W. Armstrong that, if we go on in- 

 creasing our consumption and not improving our mining, we 

 cannot calculate on any longer period than two or three cen- 

 turies to exhaust England as a coal-producing country. 



That the estimates made some time ago by Mr. Vivian with 

 reference to the South Welsh coal-field, and since repeated, are 

 enormous exaggerations when regarded in any practical sense, 

 there can be little doubt. But neither is it doubtful that, in that 

 great district, if properly worked, the resources are very great. 

 South Wales may, indeed, be soon called on to replace the north- 

 ern coal-field, which is giving symptoms of partial exhaustion. 

 The Scotch coal-fields, like those of South Wales, are no doubt 

 capable of great development. It is the more necessary that 

 proper economy of working should be insisted on in these ex- 

 ceedingly important and rising districts, if to these we must 

 look for the continuance of our manufactures. 



Economy in mining, as well as economy in the use of coal, 

 a careful abstinence from the terrible and suicidal waste that 

 characterises most of our present coal-fields, and a strict and 

 systematic working of these great sources of our country's 

 greatness, are matters so important and so vital as to deserve 

 every attention from our legislators. Coal and iron are the 

 sinews of a great commercial country; with them we have 

 power of every kind, without them it is not easy to see how the 

 British islands could retain a prominent place among the 

 nations of the earth. 



VOL. iv. — no. v. 



