COLLIE COAL. 
To rue Eprror, 
In an article under the heading of “Coal Economy,” in September 
number of your Journal, there appears the following statement :—“ For 
instance, there is the case of Collie (Western Australian) coal, which 
is not suitable for bunkering coal, owing to its liability to spontaneous 
combustion.” It seems hard to kill out incorrect statements of this 
kind, which are constantly being repeated, either being copies from 
published statements made by those with a very insufficient knowledge 
of the nature of Collie coals, or are based on hearsay evidence. It is 
distinctly unfair to the coal industry, especially at Collie, that these 
statements should be reproduced to the detriment of the bunkering 
industry, which has for years past been built up in the face of criticism 
of this kind. : 
In the first place, it is not proper to speak of the coals in the 
Collie field as of one type. There are three distinct coals mined on that 
field. At one end of the field are the hard coals, with relatively high 
ush, represented by the Western Australian and Co-operative coal. At 
the other end of the field there occur the softer low-ash coals, such as 
that of Cardiff or Scottish coal. The intermediate between these two is 
the preparatory coal; intermediate not only in geographical position, 
but in many of its chemical and physical properties. Now, of the three 
classes of coal, it is only this middle one which can fairly be described as 
more liable to spontaneous combustion than other good-class merchant- 
able bunkering coals. An examination of reported cases of spontaneous 
combustion of Collie coals shows that an enormous proportion of them- 
occur with this coal. Both the hard and the soft coals in practical 
use, and under laboratory examination, are, at least, as free from 
liability to fire spontaneously as are, say, Neweastle and Maitland coal. 
Tt is unfortunate for the Western Australian coal industry that no 
check has been placed on the type of coal placed in the ships’ bunkers. 
Fortunately, now there seems every prospect of amalgamation of the 
principal Collie mines, and this should result in preventing the con- 
demnation of all the Collie coals by the bad behaviour of one of them. 
Yours, &e., 
I. H. BOAS. 
