The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-26
TUESDAY, JUNE &c. 1900.
coal aND;pRospERITY.

When Spain lost Cuba and Porto Rico
the London Spectator pointed out that it
was ill-advised and untrue to say that
Spain was ruined, because no country can
be ruined SO long as it has within itself
sources that supply its material needs. To
De sure Spain had lost fruitful field for
pensions and fat offices for court officials
and fayorites. and large opportunities for
magnificent pilfering had been suddenly
and hopelessly cut off. But distress amid
the narrow governing class by no means
implies hunger or distress in the country
at large, and the loss of Cuba and the
Philippines did not prevent the olives from
growing or the vineyards from producing
their crops, nor did it abate the iron and
coal production of the Spanish mines. In
deed. the coal production was stimulated.
and from all accounts Spain has increased
in material wealth and prosperity
One Of the most interesting Of the ple
nomena that are Witnessed to-day in the
history of the growth of the wealth of
various nations is the extraordinarily close
relation which exists between the produc-
ton of coal and the production Of wealth.
In its ultimate analysis coal is nothing but
a concentrated form Of power that re-
uuires only the ingenuity of men to convert
II into a form of manufactured goods that
may be sold or exchanged for the benefit
of the producer.
There was time when the wealth OF
the world was supposed to consist in
Tlocks and herds. Then came the day OF
the agrIculturist, when wealth was sup
posed 10 consist in wheat and corn. To
day wealth is known 10 exist where coal
may be had in abundance and chea1ness.
Great Britain would starve if she had to
depend upon her own fields for her daily
food, and it is due entirely TO the great
manufactures that have grown up in Eng
land that she has been able to accumu-
late the wealth and power that have
spread her civilization and her government
over large portion of the world. These
manufactures owe their existence 10 the
great supply of British coal. and ii was
this supply that brought about-with the
inventions of the first part of this CEN
tury-the industrial revolution that
changed England almost AT a bound from
m agricultural 10 the leading manufac-
turing nation of the world.
AS long ago as 1866, Professor Jevons. In
his work on the coal question. pointed out
the great danger that confronted England
when her limited supply OF coal should
be exhausted With the loss OF this supply
would inevitably come poverty and dis
tress. with dleir attendant satellites. loss
Of natural prestige and possible arnihila-
ion. In his work Professor Jevons pointed
put the great and growing future for the
Iron industry il America. where both coal
and iron of high quality were to be had
n such abundance.
Professor Jeyons published his book thir-
ty-four years ago. al which time Great
Britain produced ll5slso96 short tons Of
coal. while the United States only pro-
aueed sl,5iS. $50 short tons. To-day not only
has the production of each country enor-.
naously increased, olt the United States
has passed Great Britain. In 1899 the
United States produced 2sS,eo0.eoD tons.
while Great Britain produced 2ss. ooo.ooo
tons.
The use per capita Of coal by the snhabi-
tants of Great Britain and the United
States is still in favor Of Great Britain.
which leads the world. consuming 3.S7 tons
per capita per annu.n, ahile the United
States only used 2ts gross tons. which is
only about g. per cent. of the per capita
CONSUMPTION of Great Britain. But the
United States has a far larger population,
and. despite this. the per capita consurlp-
iion Of coal in the United States is in
crcasirg far more rapidly than in either
Great Britain or Belgium, which is The
second country in the world for per capita
consumption. The enormous growth Of the
use Of coal in America has far-reachins