New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-18
ENGLAXDs mGHr AGAINST NATURE.

POSITION OF THE LONDON TIMES" DIscussEp-EN-
GLANDS SUPPLY or COAL ovER-EsIIMArEp.
TO tAs Bdttor Of The Tribune.
SIR: In its much-talked-Of article on En-
glands loss OF her iron trade with America The London
times OF Aug o. lectures the British workman with
great severity the pervcre disregard Of the nteress
of trade manifested IN his persistent demands for high
wages. - SAYS
10 neither the men nor their leaders should ven
ture to speak Of right duty or the prosperity Of the
country on regard for others even OF their Own class
For an is thcy have aud they profess 10 have cyn
Zeal disregard they have made up their minds 10 do
what hrY believe others are dong ana 10 consult ohy
yn1t Ir .s s6o95 he Psn and nigh accordingly they
arr determined that they shall be Trade NAV be De-
stroyeo, ruined men m Their own class oil me
may be pucucd FOR want OF fuel hut II they can Keen Hp
the vauc of coal and the wages OF 'oa-It-Vfs' AT!
care. and they profess TO care, 'or nothing else
Il should be remarked, in the hrst place That the
werkncn do not appear 70 be much o blame ioI the
hlgh prce 81 coal, and, consequently Of ron as Inc
Tunes would have % appear The select Committee on
GOAL in the report submitted o the house Of Commons
On the 18th of last July stated a for several years be-
fore the beginning of the present rise the miners had
noe received such remuneration with regard TO the
hazardous and arduOus nature Of their lahore" they
might reasonably have cXpected that The rise DID wages
had not under the exceptional circumstances, been
unreasonable, nor been unattended with considerable
benefit the wOrkmen" and that rise ia wages foi-
lowed upon rather than preceded ia the price Of
tee Mr. Alexander Macdonald President Of the Miucrs
National Association testified that IN district az
least the made demand upon their employers Tor
m increase Of wages with the condition that the de-
Eiand would not be pressed If the employers would
take on the last advance Of price" MI George Eliot
m extensive coluery-owner and himself q member Of
the Select Committee, called 10 for examination
and among other things that he did not think
that the had got than their share Of the
general profits 81 60 not complain at all OF them said
he "tut am satisfied, without saying that the miner
Eats 200 much or too little that the profit the coal owner
r. getting ia something out Of an proportion
The reason why cOa-Owners able 20 realize such
exetbitaut profits Is found IN the limited extent Of the
snworked carbonferous strata OF the United Kingdom
and In the great difficulty and expense Of making new
winnings" the depths 10 which 80 necessary 70
stink m order 10 reach the desired minerals aud Tins,
rather than the wages paid 70 miners N the true cause
Of the high price Of coal The Royal Commission the
Coal supply whose report made in 1871 estimated
the total quantity Of coal IN the ascertained
coal fields OF the United Kingdom at W,2TCWOO
~ tons, and the coal existing at workable depths
unGer the fpernian, new red sandstone, ana
ether superintendent strata az @2l3ooo0o tons
making an aggregate quantity OF DGsOOo0c00 tons,
which might be expected 10 be available for use. This,
nt the rate Of consumption then prevailing they calcu-
lated would last l273 iyears and with the largest IN
srease Of consumption which they thought 10 necessary
10 consider they calculated that 1t would last SEQ years
But m order % make this favorable exhibit they esti
mated the quantities OF coal living In the earth 20 the
depth Of 600 Such estimate has 10 basis in ex-
parience and hardly be regarded as anything more
man mere guess Even II the coal there, the
.neuy Of getting at II and OF working II at such great
depths would preclude the possibility OF Engands sue
seAfn competition with nation having vast coal fields
like those OF the United States either In the mining Of
coal or IN the production Of those commodities iron and
steel tmore especially. In the manufacture OF which
coal n a principal factor But there ~ great reason 20
believe coal does not exist IN anything Ike the
weeks ago at Northampton before the Institute OF
bouth Mdllnd Engineers, Mr.. h Jones mining englneer
of the IAeshs Iron and Coal aud Engineering company
said experience had shown: $780,.
coal fields ess than the Coal Commissioner esnmat
ca Tie therefore inclined 20 the opinion OF Sir
of fuel supply than the outside world had any ldea OF
Speaking Of his own county. shropshire, nc
the north OF the county Chlds Ercal had been con-
Quoted depth Of 100 feet without trace OF coal
vet the enterprise had 20 be suspended The borngs
on the Hospital estate near wellington touched
me igneous rocks depth OF 800 feet, and Lord Hi
had lust ceased boring at Wolerton, the gDeous rocks
hsS recommended that the boring should stop at 500
feet previous bOrngs having convinced him that there
was nothing bat drift clay everything the upper new
I'd sandstone Unless the trial sinkngs at Sandwich
aud other places, should prove successful he new WIN
nRgs az CaDnoc Chase would not ma Ike up for the rapid
exhaustion OF the thick coal IN and around bihston'
Dudley and other places"
That Engisnd in spite ofthese dscoursgine facts win
TONG continue 70 produce large Quantities Of IHs snd
iron can hardly be doubted ana II thht
her producing capacity may receive considerable TEN,
porAry Increase In consequence OF the new oaPsi ana
additional working force attracted 20 the mining busl'
ness by the present high but that she should pro
esNe eapeod her production TO Keep pace Win me
teadly growing demRnus OF the rapidly increasing
popuanon Of The Western Continent Is not merely I'm
pr1bsbi. ~ Is simply out Of the question -
Tor England the command OF the American market il To
Offset ne 9IS advantages OF the country by the
ment the English workman objects and thus arouses
tbe IRE OF e seAt organ OF the moneyed classes, which
fha aIas-u
and the country IL q" a state war" and soemnly an
Peas 70 public sentiment 70 make itself felt in con
Die, however that the British miner will Continue 70
demand what he coDsders "a fair days wages for
days work. tlis results In driving trade across
tbe Atlantic he will follow IT, rather 20 Will n sor
N h I'M the transfer Of the mining and iron non
uaon Of Great Britain 10 this country that the trsnstr
An = great measure consist III tbs classes Represented
by RE Tmss could have their way, labor would be
Snee for q tune, the natural obstacles 70 En-.
glands supremacy in the coal and iron market
Of the world. The worEmen would be kept 90
pooT AZ 10 emigration impossible, and population
xould 10 on gaining upon the means OF subsistence
until the On Al collapse due 70 the actual exhaustion Of
the mines when famine, Ike destroying angel stalk
ire hTongh The land would sweep of its crowded and
helpless Inhabitants by the million Inc cOHmon sense
of the miners teaches them wiser economy than that
of me Tufs IL teaches them 10 demand the fu value
Of their work aRd trade goes away IN consequence, 10
use their increased earnings Ia Following II " more
favored fields The plan OF the workmen u "a harmony
with the natural order Of things tending as u docs 70
distribution Of population with a due regard 10 Inc
means Of subsistence The plan OF me JHH cohteLb-
plates The maintenance OF al l1mense o mh
ARTIFICIAL a. 10 make the very existence OF lloh. con
nnsent upon the fluctuations OF trade II tbe aeuslV
OF American competition the iron usoe Ia tne pres
ent uneture shall prevent the latter plan from attaining
even temporary success, not the United States alone
pa. n the END England herself Will derive great benehi
Eosasns1ST, D. o. Sent H. ls7a.