ROWLEY : OUR COAL RESOURCES. 
439 
coalfield, on which we are situated. The eastwardly develop- 
ment has been very great in recent years, perhaps the most 
striking feature being the proving of the Coal Measures at work- 
able depths at South Carr, 10 miles south-east of Doncaster, 
where the Barnsley bed was found at a depth of about 1.000 
yards with a thickness of over 8 feet, but divided into two parts 
by a parting of 36 feet of shale. This has considerably pushed 
forward the proved eastern boundary, and verifies my prophecy 
of 30 years ago that Doncaster would be at one time a most im- 
portant centre of the Midland coaltield. It is interesting to note 
that the number of persons employed in the Midland coalfield 
reaches nearly a quarter of the total mining population of the 
United Kingdom. Not so fortunately situated are the coalfields 
of Northumberland and Durham, whose eastwardly limit is 
fixed by the distance it is possible to carr}^ the workings under 
the sea, probably six or seven miles. In central and southern 
England, however, the conditions are not so thoroughly knowTi, 
and coalfields still remain to be discovered, though the only 
metliod will be by costly diamond borings. Though opposed to 
grandmotherly legislation, I think this is a field of work which 
should be undertaken by the Government and not left to private 
enterprise, which moves too slowly in matters sucli as these, 
but, of course, the cost incurred should be borne where coal is 
found by the owners of the estates on which it is found — the 
payment to take the form of a charge on each ton of coal got 
from areas proved in this way. In France and other Con- 
tinental countries tnis question has long been recognised as of 
national importance, and extensive boring operations have 
almost fully proved the extent of their coalfields. The time has 
now arrived when the possibility of coal being found at workable 
depths under the Secondary rocks of southern England should be 
settled in the way indicated. Economy in fuel consumption 
is another great field for missionary work. The last few years 
has seen the rise of the electric power companies designed to 
supply electricity over whole counties, and in these lies the 
great possibility of economy for industrial purposes, which, of 
course, arises from — (1) the centralising of the plant and the 
fact that there will be a constant load owing to the supply of 
