9 



We may, however, very reasonably consider whether 

 underlying the causes, whatever they may be, for the rise in 

 the price of coal, there is not some sign of the expectation 

 that the supply is limited, and that sooner or later the price 

 must materially rise by reason of the reduction of the supply. 

 At all events we can turn our attention to the supposed 

 amount of such supply, the rate at which it has hitherto 

 been depleted, and the prospects of meeting future require- 

 ments, and we must bear in mind that we are dealing with a 

 natural product which cannot practically be reproduced, so 

 that we are, in fact, constantly living upon our capital. 



The total amount of coal existing in the United King- 

 dom, or rather in England and Scotland, since in Ireland 

 there is practically no coal, can be very fairly estimated with 

 the data that are available. The exact coal areas are pretty 

 definitely fixed, and the depth at which coal mines can be 

 satisfactorily worked has doubtless been conclusively decided. 

 As a matter of fact coal mining in this country is not at 

 present carried on to any extent at a lower depth than 1,000 

 feet, but operations do exist to the depth of 1,800 feet and it 

 is confidently asserted that mines might be worked, though 

 at an enormous increase of cost, to a maximum depth of 

 4,000 feet. On this basis it is estimated that the available 

 resources of coal in the United Kingdom at the commence- 

 ment of the twentieth century are 82,000 millions of tons, 

 but of this amount it is calculated that only some 15,000 

 millions of tons are available to the practical working depth 

 of 2,000 feet. 



When we leave the question of the probable supply of 

 coal at present existing in the United Kingdom, and discuss 

 our second point as to the rate at which the supply is being 

 depleted, we quit the region of estimates and come to actual 

 facts — facts and figures which are really astounding from 

 their magnitude, involving as they do so largely the interests, 

 well-being, and prosperity of this country. 



In the year 1800, or practically at the commencement of 

 the nineteenth century, the total output of coal in the United 

 Kingdom was 10 millions of tons — in 1850 it had risen to 

 60 millions— in 1875 to 100 millions -and in 1899, the last 

 recorded year of the century, to 220 millions of tons, at the 

 ■estimated value of about £70,000,000. 



