San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-09
WATER POWER
AN D OIL ARE
COMPETITORS
British Coal Export Trade
in Big Slump Since
War.
Rv d. LLOYD GEORGE

LONDON, Aug. Shy Cable)-,
Coal is smoldering everywhere and
NAV burst into a universal flame
which will light up both sides OF the
Atlantic with pillars of fire. Through
out the civilized world, at the present
moment. the coal industry seems to
be igniting with trouble.
1t is not in Britain alone tnat tne
position is grave and menaclng. III
America a conference has been golns
on for three weeks to consider tht
demands of the coal miners, amongst
other things, for ten per cent IN
crease in wages. Although there the
industry itself is by no means IN suca
a desperate plight as in this country,
the American miners contend that
they do not receive a fair share OF
the profits and are threatening
strike on this account on September
i. In Canada also there are strikes
and rumors of strikes. In France
there is crisis in the mining indus
try and in Belgium too, 1000 miners
have struck work. In Germany, the
Saar is on the Threshold Of a struS-
gle between the coal owners and the
miners.
SEEKS THE CAUSE
What is the reason for this ap-
parently international trouble through
out the worlds coal fields? Although
on the face of it, the cause OF tns
strike In every case appears 10 be
wages or hours OF both, that is but q
superficial reason. To find the real
causes we must look at the changes
that are being wrought by science IN
irs march forward along the road TO
civilization. Some of the most start
ling inventions of the Twentieth Cen
tury have been in connection with
the utilization Of different kinds Of
Dower and King Coal who was once
upon a time an autocrat, is now but
a limited monarch. Everywhere his
sway and hegemony are being en-
croached upon and challenged.
The fate Of the British coal export
trade will serve as an illustration OF
what Is going on throughout the coal
fields of the world. The high price OF
British coal during and Immediately
after the war stimulated the countries
which bought coal largely from US
Italy and France for instance-tO re-
sort for power to what is known as
whitecoal: in other words water. Ba-
varia and parts Of Germany have also
done the same thing. with the result
that there Is more Westphalian coal
available for external sale than there
otherwise would have been. America is
Harvesting vast water resources TO ma
chinery on a scale and rate quite I'M
known before the war. In addition TO
this, large beds of Ignite have been
discovered in Germany.
OIL is RIVAL.
This has been used extensively for
the production Of electricity and has
still further decreased the European
demand for coal Even where black
coal has been used in the enormous
power development since the war, coal
ie. by that very process, also saved.
The production Of coal and Ignite in
France increased from 40.S44, 900 gross
tons in 1913 to 57,SSS,000 tons in
1924 This necessarily means that
she purchases less abroad. The Ger
mer Ignite output has increased from
79,541 ,575 tons in 1914 to 134, 400, :
100 tons in 1929. The Dawes re-
port, too, offering coal 10 the Ruhr TO
the result that il came into the market
soon after the London agreement ma
terialized. also very prejudicially af-
fected the British coal trade.
But one Of the most important res-
sons for depression in the coal indus
try is the growing rivalry Of oil as a
means Of producing power. The
navies of the world are already oil
users, as far as modern ships are con-
cerned and the large passenger ships
Of the world, great consumers not only
on account Of their size but because Of
their speed, now nearly all run on oil
BIAANIES GOLD STANDARD.
1.-The last knock Of all to the strug.
Cling coal industry-One which ven.
ture to call the donkey kick-was the
premature return TO the gold standard
This had the effect Of at least TEN
porarily Of adding anything from Z
shilling to a shilling and six pence q
the export price Of British coal in for
eign countries. Sir Josiah Stamp
one of the most eminent Twin,
authorities on finance and cur
rency. in an addendum 20 the report Of
the coal mining dispute. states frankly
that he has been unable 10 find any
thing in the actual course or cOnduc
Of the industry 10 account for such
marked change for the worse durini
the last four or five months, and h
comes 20 the conclusion that the pre-
mature return to the gold standard re
sponsible. He develops the srgumen
in detail. Witnesses before the com
mission, he adds, had the general i'm
preston that the resumption Of th
gold standard means a shilling per to
difference in price. but prima facie III
real effect Of II might be considerable
greater than these general impression
would convey.
an therefore obliged 10 conclud'
firstly. that whatever the effect {
the operation Of the agreement migt
be upon industry in the long run
was bound 10 be made subsequent
worse BY that kind Of one-sided delft
ton which has taken place and, SCI
ondly. that no other satisfactory {
sufficient cause appears 10 be avail
able. though I give full weight 10 II
rcnerai depression in coal consumptio
abroad. "All these are not Gauss
Tor which the owners or the miners al
responsible.
PROFITS VANISH.