The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-09-29

u
This increased price of food has, as an al
most certain consequence, caused de-
mand for advanced wsges-a demand
which, SO far, has generally been complied
with, though not always to the extent
asked for. Undoubtedly, however, the
coal masters have been warranted in maxi
ing some advance in prices; but there
does not appear to have been any justii-
cation tor doubling even more than doubl-
ing the retail price. There is no good rea-
son why coal which averaged seventeen to
The quantity of coal which has not yet
been worked in Great Britain (the supply
in Ireland Is: limited and of inferior
quality is very great. Although coal
has been more or less employed in Eng
land, first for manufactures and after
wards as domestic fuel, from the latter
end of the thirteenth century to the pres
ent time the idea that the stock might be
exhausted does not appear to have been
seriously considered until of late years.
Consequently, such thing as economy in
obtaining or in using the article has
scarcely ever been thought of. 1t is cal
culated that as much coal is equivalent to
one-ffth of the quantity fairly used. This
vast consists of small coal, and is got rid
of by being set fire to when It's heaps ac-
cumulate.
One year with another, according to q
Parliamentary return in lS45 the British
Islands produce sixty-nve million tons Of
coal annually that IS, forty-seven and a
half millions are used in England, ten
millions in Wales and seven and a half
millions in Scotland, the supply from
Ireland being only one hundred and
fifty thousand tons. In Ireland however,
turf (Which is dried peat) takes the place
of coal. Of course, coal is not peculiar to
the above countries. France yields be-
tween six and seven million TONS Belgium
eight millions, Prussia nine and half,
Austria about two hundred thousand tons,
and Spain, including Ignite, two hundred
and fifty thousand tons per annum.
There are extensive coal fields in India,
the Burman empire, Ceylon, Japan,
Borneo and China also, in Australia,
Madagascar, Greenland, and to an i'm
mense extent in North America. The
consumption of coal in the whole world
may be averaged at one hund red million
tons annually, Of which sixty-hve million
tons have been supplied from the islands
of Great Britain.
So lately as 1862 writer in Chambers
, Encyclopedia" writing on this subject
, said: at is calculated that the Goa
p field of England and Wales would suppl.
r sixty tons annually for thousand years.
4 This shows how recently the coal pani
4 has arisen. Prof. Ramsey Of the Geolog
o ical Society of England, lately stated in
q public lecture that there were many SCUM,
d reasons for believing that coal would b
= found beneath the new red sandstone an
i Permian formations that a majority {
d the English coal fields have been joine
Is together in one large area, and that
ID downthrow and other faults the fields sci
as arated, but that the intervening spac,
a covered the coal, which, still further burie
h. by the natural forces, brought about Il
Dis separation. Some had, no doubt, been tc
of deeply buried to pay for getting, and son
al were too thin for remunerative result,
ID. though at workable depths. He calculate
ne that more coal lay ut workable deptl
ess than appeared in the fields. The Sout
d. Stadordshire field was supposed TO contai
es, 3,20l ,672, ZIG tons Of coal, but beneath II
De- Permian formation were l0,3s0,O00,0 OF
ey tons; the Wsrwickshre field contsine
Sc l5S,525, la tons, but that concealed shout
re be put down at 2,494, 600 900 tons, and tn
ir Leicestershire coal field contained s36
to 799, 734 tons, but beneath the Permia
it formation were /, 79O O00 900 tons of Goa
I'd If these calculations are correct ian
er Prof. Ramsey, an eminent scientist, is
Id prominent member of tho coal commits
w sion appointed by the British govern
on ment), there would appear to be no goo
a reason for the existing coal-panic.
es. that has arisin out of, or has been fostere
OF by, the msnGuvres Of spectators, it ma
nd collapse with velocity which will rui
i'd many of that class, leaving them to
"unwept, unhonored and unsung."-[ Nc
lilo | Nnrk Ev.nin., Dn.t