THE COAL QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 2987, 14 September 1872, Page 2

THE COAL QUESTION.

Bearing upon the subject of our Wednesday’s leader are some remarks made by Sir Charles Cowper, Agent-General of New South Wales, on the occasion of the launch of a new steamer for the Bulli Cotnpanj', In the Times he is reported to have said To refer to Dr Eddy’s paper on the natural distribution of coal throughout the British Empire, I must confess I was rather astonished to find he did not place New South Wales in her pre eminent position as a coalproducing colony. No doubt he did not mean to overlook the fact; but I wish to take this opportunity of asserting that the only Australian colony which is practically a coal-producing country is New South Wales. Wo have m that colony upwards of thirty coal mines at work, and I have no doubt that her coal fields will keep her at the head of the Australian Colonies for very many generotions to come. For your information I should like now to state the amount of coal that has been supplied from New South Wales to the neighbouring colonies of Australia. She has for many years past raised nearly a million tons of coal, annually, about one-half of this amount has been consumed by our various colonies them* selves, and the other half has been exported to foreign ports. The coal-mines have been steadily advancing since 1863. The produce of eighteen mines in that year was 433,889 tons, valued at L 236.230. In 1868, fire quantity of coal raised from twentythree mines amounted to 954,231 tons, of the ualue of L 417,809, and there is every prospect of the same satisfactory progression. We have sent to Victoria since 1863, 1,182,385 tons of coal; to South and Western Australia, 488,140 tons; Queenslaud, 32,435 ; Jamaica, 87,375; New Zealand, 061,2.33 ; New Caledonia, Southampton, and If 0n01n1n,471.904 ; Mauritius and Bourbon. 30,171 ; Singapore, Manila, Java, and Batavia, 187,010; Valparaiso, Chili, and Panama, 29,484; China, 540,568 ; Unitad States, 321,252; Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Rangoon, Point de Galle, Ceylon, and Colombo, 94,773; Petropolauki, 54,044; Callao, Juam, Nicobar Island, Copary, and j Timor, 11,381 ; and to other places, 9,497 I tons ; making a total of 3,789,052 tons since I 1803 We have worked between thirty and forty mines, and have supplied our neighboring colonics with these largo quantities. T may add that the exportation of coal to India, China, and San Francisco, is steadily on the increase; in fact, it is for the increased trade that the Bulli, the steamer which we have just seen so successfully launched, has been built. I may also add that I quite agree with the assertion made by the Government geologist, a gentleman of high professional standing, “ that good clean hand-picked New South Wales coal is at least equal, if not preferable, to the best coal of England.” I would now further quote statistics, showing the quantity of New South Wales coals ia : sed ami exported during the seven years from 1863 to 1870. In the year 1863 we raised 433,889 tons and exported 293,038 ; in 1864 we raised 549,012 tons and exported 372,466 ; in 1865, 585,525 tons and exported 382,968 ; in 1866, 774,238 tons and exported 540,905 ; in 1867, 770,012 tons and exported 473,357 ; in 1868, 954,230 tons and exported 548,036 ; in 1860, 919,773 tons and exported 595,553 ; and in 1870 we raised 868,564 tons and exported 578,389 tons, Now these figures show the enormous trade that is carried on in coal between New South Wales and the other parts of the Empire. Apropos of this subject, it has often been remarked, and especially at the time when Professor Jevons’ paper was read before the Statistical Society some half dozen years ago, upon the exhaustion of our coal measures, that let English coal advance but 10s or 15s per ton, or from 25s to 40s, and Australia could supply the world. That which at the time might have been considered a little figurative is now apparently beginning to be viewed in the light of prophecy ; for during the present summer, from the prevalence of strikes in the mining districts, and the greater expense in recovering coal from lower depths, the ma. ket value has materially advanced, and 30s is to day the price of best Wallsend, against 24s at the corresponding period of last year, with a continually rising market. Should the price permanently rise on this side or upon the abrogation of the French Treaty next February an export duty, for revenue purposes, be placed upon coal, the Australian varioties would probably become known in Europe, to the great advantage of both producers and consumers. —European Mail,