22 ANNIVEESAET ADDEESS. 



in making one more quotation from Mr. Smyth's work, — that with 

 which he concludes. He is speaking of Great Britain. " In no 

 other country in Europe is there such a laxity of vital importance 

 to our successors. Under the Inspection Act every colliery is 

 bound to keep up plans on a certain scale ; but how partial is the . 

 advantage when, at the end of a lease, the documents are subject 

 to be lost or destroyed. And, unless the Grovernment, on behalf 

 of the Nation, insist upon the deposition of duly guaranteed min- 

 ing plans in a suitable office, and lessors and lessees co-operate 

 in rendering available at a future day those tracts which the 

 exigencies of trade prevent us from turning to present account, 

 Ave remain open to the charge of an unworthy stewardship of the 

 riches which a bountiful Nature has committed to our care." 



The comparative amount of coal produced at present in the 

 world is taken by Professor Leone Levi to be 200,000,000 tons. 

 per annum, of which 120,000,000 — the Treasury statistics make 

 it in 1871, 117,000,000— are the produce of Great Britain; the 

 other Countries, such as France, Germany, Belgium, and . North 

 America, notwithstanding her enormous coal areas, consuming 

 more than they produce. During the last half-century, Great 

 Britain has exported, in a continually increasing decennial propor- 

 tion, no less than 43,442,000 tons, the export in 1871 amounting 

 to 12,816,000 tons. In 1870, Erance took 2,074,000 ; Eussia, 

 805,000 ; Denmark, 695,000 ; Italy, 612,000 ; Egypt, 374,000 ; 

 Sweden, 370,000 ; Brazil, 261,000 ; Norway, 248,000 ; and Cuba, 

 222,000 tons ; and in addition, other Countries, including America, 

 took, 5,842,000 tons. So that in fact British coal has fed the 

 naval and commercial prosperity of half the world. 



It is quite clear, therefore, that when the other coal-bearing 

 countries have their mines in full operation, unless Great Britaia 

 can undersell them all, she must lose her prestige. To use the 

 words of the author last cited, — " Cheap iron, coals, and labour, 

 have made England what she is ; there is nothing of such prime 

 importance to England as cheap coal. If she is deprived of 

 this, she will lose the very prop to her maniifacturing and com- 



