The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-10-07 00:00:00

MR. EDWARDS, M.P., ON 00AL AND
IRON.

The large lecture room of the Working Menlo Club,
Mitchell-street, was well fillel on Thursday evening
last, on the °cession of the inaugural leertare. It Was
given by Dr. Jas. Drew, on "The Pest: or the Secrete
of the Rooks Eevealed." Mr. H. Edwards. the giver
of the Institution's house, presided with his accustomed
geniality, and the audience, which consisted of all
three "classes" of society, were inuoh instructed, ea
well by • well-reasoned "Adieu from Mr. Edwards, as
by the eloquent lecture of Dr. Drew.
The CHAILIIIIN, addreseng the meeting OA Lie kind
friends, said he was very pleased to have the opportunity
of main g here upon the present oesenton— the Inaugura-
tion of the winter session—and to see so many present,
bemuse he thought it augured well for the future. lie
wee only too delighted to think the building In which he
had taken such • deep interest bad met with so gratify-
ing • degree of borne helms among the working men
of Weymouth—Utopians.) lid was, burrvor, sorry he
did not see more working men present, bec.tme it would
have been far more gratifying to him to find this plus
full to (mull rering with them, au it was the oriental
desire of his heart to ace this Institution prospering—
(applause.) He thought he might say, with many of
theme Ives, that be was present for the purpose of
liatesing to his good friend Dr. Drew; for all wanted
to be instructed. Certainly, u time rolled on, they
found edueetion was as neveseary as ever ; it was the
great need for all canoe of society, and be was @stilt-
ed of one thing—that working men were becoming
sessible of the fact, even if they were not already con-
vinced of It, that if they would reap the sdvantagee of
the times, U they would have better wages and mere
comfortable homes they most devote themselves to
thou studies whieli would enable them to rise in the
social seek. They all knew that the greatness of a
nation I.lcethle depended upon the elevaticus and educa-
tion of its labourers, of whom he might mete they all
formed • part. He did not know of anythisig which
was more *sedative to ti, spread of education than
listeoing to suer simple leeture, and pertionlarly to
lectures of the kind which they were about to hoar.
The information from this source was not confined to
working moo, but all were indebted for the benefits
oosiferred by natures. 1 heir wheel* and universities
were all attended by pupils for education, end there
was no better way of obtaining knowledge than by
MOILUI of • lereture. It gave food for reflection, it
enabled people to form opinions for them-elves, and it
exalted in them • curiosity and a love for reading aid
redrotioo, which was one of the greatest blessings that
eould fall to the lot of mankind—Utopian's.) These
teeter.' wen not confined to working men, for there
was the Royal Society, where the aristocracy of London
daily attended lectures in order to improve their
minds and so increase their thirst for know.
ledge. Now, lie did not feel that in his 'opacity as
chairman ha ought to take the part of letterer
—that he left to hle able and distinguished friend,
Dr. Drew • bet, at the mote tine, he should like very
ind;ed to mike • few remarks with retard to the
subject to which they would have to listen that evening
—(c.plause). Now, perha;..of all brushes of natural
eatenes after astronomy, reeked sett In point of
Intone{ and practical utility, the study of geology. To
form some acquaintance with the wonderful mutations
through which the planet on which they dwelt had
paned, to know at least something of the °images
which mike the beds of seas dry lands, change. which
0010fTed VIM day, and which had elevated valleys
to mountains and depressed mountains to valleys; to
leant something of the gigantic insd marvellous forms of
life that bad tenanted -this earth, and peeled away
rosaibly myriads of ages before gala appeared on lie
surfs.,; of the earthquakes and other convulsions
which have rent It asunder, must afford matter of the
doeprat interest to every thinking man; and that
formed the gabfest of the Ironies that emming. The
study of geology had a direot and practical hearing
upon matters pertaining to their ladies:lnel interest at
the preesot moment, and this had been exemplified at
the meeting of the British Association at Bradford.
There Baron Yon Itiothr fan gave • detail of his
researches in Chloe, where he described that China
was one of the largest coal fields in the world ; that he
had there found one coal field ol 100,C00 pure mil, a in
extent, which, if it could be 'Mimed and the article
brought to bear upon our commerce, would have the
effect of reducing the present high pries of ouL This
coal question was undoubtedly the leading topic of the
present moment, and very iniere•tiog to all geologist'.
He thought the report of Baron Von Riethofen, given
at the Bradford Assoolatiron, tiother with that of Sir
Antonio Brady, employel by the Admiralty in a survey
of the United Stater. gave • very favourable amount of
the coal fields. In Virginia he had found • very large
area of coal, which, lo be epees of three years, would
be er,rked, several million, of mousy haying bees
raised, and a Nee York clemently having taken the
matter in hand. Now, there bat b.en meetings in
London and elsewhere upon this imp..rtant muting of
coal, and enquiry woo everywhere male as to when
cheap coal was to be obtaln To:. was • ruhj at
which thereat d every persou, but he was bound to
outer —although they had had . loth an soolunt of
theu. thousands of 'quart mike of coal In Chloe and
large coal fields in America—that he was afraid it would
be some time before they wonhi be able to indulge in
that [Petal article, cheap us'. When there was an
ourery for cheaper foal it appearel to him Hist people
did not reflot that the high price of Gold woo a matter
of o inieratulation. as showing the great prosperity of
tha country. %Viso any one came to reit tot -and he
was going to quote what was • faet—that the output
of cal in ingand wta larger now than it was two or
three years ago, and when it was but one-third of the
pries, they must gee there was great prosperity in the
country. Now, aul, as they all knew, was dug out of
the bowele of the ea•th, scud the encrmous quantity
raised was not absorbed, riert•inly not in the main, by
the consumption for domestic purposes, but for keeping
up the fires in the munfactere of bon, and this to such
an extent as to give the Dole amount of prosperity
which at present existed in the kingdom. To glee
them some idea of the outwit of this coal question,
which he conceived pertained to his Mead's lecture, he
would quote an extract given before the Coal Com-
mittee in the House of Commons so reesoUy ae July
last. This stated that

'The tMal output of the coalfleide in Greet Britian eras in
1371, 123,196,768 tow ; the number of persona employed in
thin production waa 223.114. Th. latter estimate include.
the whole number of persons employed about the mlnee,
whores' in a large part et the evideace, when minis, are
referred te hewer. ooly one meant. It follows that, on the
average, tbe productien for each perms employed was nearly
311 tons. There was a conalderabe laminae in the number of
poems employed In and about the mines In 1372, but the
precise numben fir previous years cannot be accurately
WWI. SIB it not compubsose on seal ownero until last
year to mid In returns to the inepectors. Tbe output in
1071 .Ilbowin. an eivence on that of 1871, which may
be elated (web greater menden°e than could be extended
to the labour statistics) to have been 117,190.278 tone.
Tble Is 7.000.000 tone more than the output of 1870,
which oaly exam& that of 19516 by 2,000,000. The number
of tone of coal ..ported was In 1870, 13.111,000 ; in 1371,
12,748,000."

Now there win no doubt, the hon. member said, that
the enormous queettty of one hundred and twenty-
three millions of tons of output octal bad increased
the price for doenestio purposes. whilst the wansump-
lion of web by railways sod In navigating the °mon
by 'teem ships instead, of sailing vowels, bad widish
for greater than it ever was before, but this was se
nothing oompared to the consumption in the man.
facture of iron. To produce one ton of pig iron it
required no lees than Fin tons of coal.; and as many am
40 million tons of omit per annum were consumed In
the manufacture of pig iron alone. If they considered
It took that quantity for this purpose only, to say
nothing of what was required ter steam Davigatiou,
and the enormous quantities needed by manufactories
—if they put 40 colilloa tout of out for pi; iron, And
something like 60 million tow for other purposes, they
would see how smell the eonautoption was for domestic
purposes. There was no doubt them were but two
means open for them to obtsln i reduction in the
price of out—thew were either to ea:Atomise it or to
produce more. They were not aware of the logeoulty
tileplayed, of the power which bad been exeroised so is
to eeosondos sail. He could toll them that only WI
week he mot In London • large mill-owner of Preston,
who was • very heavy 000suoter of coal, and he had
told him that he had been able to alter hit rraohinery—
• very rutty proceet—so as to redo°e the oonsomption
of goal in one mill alone by one-half --(applause). The
increased production of coal was than to be oee.
swayed. H• had given them the remit of the
geologicsi surveys in foreign °contrite, and be thought
if they Gould but induce the lethargic Chinese people to
enter into the arena of drilla/Win—if they oeuld but
get coal there to meet the requirements of ships in that
part of the world—lt would relieve shit country to •
considerebie extent; whilst it they were going to
obtain that quantity of coal in America of +Lich he
bad spoken, It would have • most dinastrouseff at upon
wheat he tailed the labour of this country ; for not only
would coal clone be produced, but the people there
would also have the means of producing iron—s state of
things whiA would tell most setion.ly upon the labour
of this country. it was much to be regretted that
labourers did not we this 'nate of things in the sagne
light as the colliery owner ; lot the o,lliery owner and
the sillier were two ditteront persons, It mu quite
clear that the awl owner did rot prevent the supply ;
If it (weld be brought forward he would be only too
glad to redoes protest pric^a, but the isms *mild not
be said In regard to the *oilier. Ile holiew,cl there had
been very great oomplduts wade against the colliers
for not exerciaing a sufficient amount of prudence, for
out 'mating tie best of the golden opportunity which
they enjryod. They were killing the goose that loud
the golden ergs. Their only prudent* was how to
supply dolly wants, and the consequenoe was that they
forgot summer was followed by winter, and that they
ought to make hay whilst the sun shun.; they did not
In fut lay up for a rainy day as they ought te do. Ho
did rot go the Wirth of oeurnring the oelike am some
people did—he did not say be was all tod—kwoatwo la
the report from which be had quoted just now was to
be morn an instance of bow the private affairs of the
oollirrt were arranged. This Hated that
"Following the wage* Into the bands of the moo, It had
been said that they spent than increased earnhog. Inunwonted
loxurite, ouch as champagne, piano., paraniliniators, and
harmonies... But no wide-spread .uxury or drunkenness was
proved; and while It was said that they spent their earnings
In the public-11.re, It woe also mid that they had put money
In the savingetank. • that In their coalition sod dwellingn
the deem and eduesiion of their children they had redly
improved."

(A ppleuse.) He thought it we noteseary tilers should
be two aides to Ibis question ; for, if they censured the
stonier for his rooklowt oseduct er,th regard to the pro-
coeds of hie laboor,they also saw home of the good results
of it. With reseed to the oonclact of the willies in
disposing of their 'tunings, be (Hr. lidwerde) said it
was extestuely creditable, but it wee to he much
regretted they 'cot the golden opportunity of providing
for the future. The prosperity of this (wonky at um
pretest moment tram very great. He know nosy
potpie differed In this respect, but it all arose on
aetwant of ths stags of the seal and iron leselos. It
they would (sly lasslas 1bM123,000,000 ts d