The Detroit times., 1913-01-25
ON BOARD THE GOOD SHIP EARTH
Someboay Is Rob5,ug Ms coal BHuks,s /
BY HERBERT QUICK.

leading to the coal bunkers were assigned to these
coal peope-and therefore the coal in the bunkers
had passed into private possession and become private
property The passengers. however laughed at this.
and took possession OF the coal part OF the com
mon property OF all, and began course Of economy
In taxing out and using IL that conserved the coal
that when the island finally rediscovered and the
people taken on. there still great deal OF coal
In the bunkers. though several years had elapsed.
The above is an allegory, as Jesus called such
Stories parable IL is the shortest way know to
tell you the coal problem which confronts Passen
gers on the Good Ship Earth
There Is only just much coal I'm the earth. Does
II belong to all OF only to those who have deeds
to the land above II? don't mean the law know
what the courts would say-but IN real truth and in
real fact by that higher law which forbids the waste
OF those things which the must base its future
life? Careful estimates have been made leading to
the conclusion that II We keep up the increase in the
consumption Of coal at the rate we have been boosting
II. the supply will give out In $50 years. l believe
there will be lots of coal long after that; but this Is
certainly true-sometime IL must be exhausted II we
keep on mining II.
That's as certain as death And we are as wicked
and cruel in our waste II bring this awful
trophe prematurely the world ten thousand years
from as In ten years Can you escape that con-
clusionf
The people who are handling the coal business for
the Good Ship Earth are wasting the coal.
one-half threequarers Of the anthracite and
half the soft coal wasted in mining 1t costs
less to take only that which comes easiest so a
great Is left be hidden forever when the
comes and the roof In. Thus the companies
make money and We get cheaper coal than II It
There are nearly a hundred thousand beehive coke
ovens in the United States which fifty million
dollars worth OF the goodness OF the coal annually
all the gas, all the tar and all the fertilizer are
wasted-fertilizer hungry soils need 30 sorely
Ovens such used In really civilized nations
would save these-and make their owners money
One-twelfth OF all coal goes in black smoke
or $40 900 a year Mechanical stokers would
save almost all OF this. Van Hise says that In one
fair sized plant the machines save
more than third OF the coal is certain that this
smoke could be prevented.
Only / per cent of the Goals energy Is realized in
light when burned to make electricity! We should
make our lights OF other things-water- power. for
instance
In using coal for power, much more could be made
II the elements converted into gas and used
in Gas engines instead OF steam engines. IL 10 per-
fecty well settled that coal converted into producer
gas gives than two and half times the power
that IL does when used TO make steam. Think OF
saving two-thrds OF the coal burned In stationary
steam engines! But It takes better men, more In
ltelligent men such engines. So what we need
IL intelligence in the mine owners. more intelli
gencs in engineers intelligence and better
ais all along the lima We could get along with less
there IL a way by which we might do a great deal
better than that.
The big question f. Of course. to whom the supplies
belong which God placed in the hold Of this Good
Ship EARTH Suppose they threatened by
accidental connagration. how they would call
every good citizen night for the heritage Of the
race!" Why isn't IT heritage when a money
making connagration is actually ravasing itf
See Mondays Times for announcement OF the
next article in this great series.