December 1, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

1071

COAL AND ITS ECONOMIC
UTILISATION.

In his first Howard lecture at the Royal Society of
Arts on Monday, Prof. J. S. S. Brame, Professor of
Chemistry at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, dealt
with the general situation of the coal supplies of Great
Britain.

As a nation, he said, we hardly realised the economic
importance of coal, and he indicated the many indus-
tries in which coal is a vital necessity. It was the only
raw material that we produce in great quantities.
Sooner or later, however, we should come to a period
when coal would be more scarce than it is now, and
although we had done a great deal—and that was not
sufficiently recognised—in* conserving our supplies by
introducing less wasteful methods of production, and
utilising coal to better advantage, yet a very great deal
remained to be done. The appeals of scientists for some
better and systematic conservation of our coal supplies
had been largely appeals to those who were already con-
vinced, but beyond that very little had been done. The
most recent development was the appointment of the
British Association Committee, which had already pre-
sented an interim report ; but he did not think that any
one society or association could do> very much in this
matter. It was really a subject for all the learned and
technical societies, and it was in the hope of prevent-
ing the matter being shelved, and getting something
done, that that series of lectures was being delivered.

To grasp the importance of the coal problem, we must
study it in relation to our great commercial rivals. In
the middle of the last century Great Britain had by far
the largest output of any one country in the world, but
now the United States and Germany were producing at
a greater rate than we were. In 1845 Great Britain
produced 31,500,000 tons; to-day the output was 269
millions. The United States in 1845 produced 4,400,000
tons, against 519 millions to-day; and Germany pro-
duced then 3,500,000 tons, against 168 million tons now.

Coal Reserves.

He would not enter into the question of the duration
of coal supplies—the question was far too speculative—
but the probable coal reserves afforded surer ground for
an approximation. The probable coal reserves of the
United Kingdom were estimated to be something under
180,000 million tons, and those of Germany at 415,800
million tons, whilst the United States had approximately
2,900,000 million tons. Furthermore, not only were we
exhausting our supplies at a far higher proportionate rate
than our nearest commercial rivals, but we retained for
home consumption a much smaller proportion. For
instance, the percentage of output to reserves in the
case of the United States was 0’013; in Germany it was
0’040; whilst in the case of Great Britain it was 0-140.
Similarly, the United States reserved 90 per cent, of its
output for home consumption, Germany 75 per cent.,
and Great Britain 67 per cent., and it would be neces-
sary to reduce this larger percentage of output to
reserves. This was not so much a question of exhaus-
tion as a question of the time when our easily and
cheaply won coal would be exhausted, and we should
have to go deeper, and not get coal of the high quality
we have been accustomed to. The time when the price
of coal relatively to the price of other commodities will
have advanced so much as to hamper British industry
was not so far ahead as might be imagined at first sight;
according to some authorities, that period was between
50 and 100 years. Already the cost of coal had risen by
25 to 30 per cent, during the last few years, and we
must expect it to get dearer in time. If Great Britain
was to maintain her place as an important manufacturing
nation, it was essential she should have cheap coal, and
the necessity for economy, as far as it could be exer-
cised, was absolutely justified. The great hopes as to
gaseous fuel that were entertained by the 1904 Royal
Commission on Coal had not been fulfilled, especially as
regards gas engines, owing to the rapid development of
the steam turbine; and economy must be looked for in
other directions. At present, much valuable small coal
was left underground, sufficient attention was not paid
to preparation for the market, and a more general adop-
tion of sizing and washing would render available large
amounts of small coal now of little commercial value. At
the same time, sufficient credit was not given by coal
economists to the considerable advances in economy
which had already been made, although this by no
means implied that our efforts should relax. Rather
did it emphasise the cases where we were still improvi-
dent in our use of coal, and point the way to make
fresh advances. All these economies had been carried
out without legislative action. Personally, he looked to
private enterprise to carry on this work, and had no
great faith in the appeal for legislative action to intro-
duce compulsion in economy of fuel, such as the prohi-
bition o*f the use of raw coal for domestic purposes. Any
legislative action towards restricting the use of coal was
bound to be met by strong opposition from vested
interests; and perhaps the best action by Parliament
would be in the direction of providing State laboratories,
where various coals could be tested and their best uses
ascertained, and in the extension of technical education.

Coal Exports.

Speaking on the question of coal exports, Prof. Brame
confessed he felt on difficult ground. It had been to a
very large extent due to the export coal trade that we
had developed as a big industrial nation, but we must
look at this question on a wider front than the immediate
present or the immediate future. It was perhaps not
recognised that in the five years prior to the war our
total export of coal wras equal to two years’ home con-
sumption, and that enormous rate of export could only
bring nearer and more quickly the day when coal would
become appreciably dearer in this country. If, as our
political economists told us, coal exports were essential

to our well-being, we must realise that it was at the
cost of bringing the day of dear coal nearer. In other
words, we must mortgage the interests of posterity in
the interests of the present. Possibly a few of the
succeeding generations would enjoy this prosperity, but
he very much doubted whether posterity would feel
inclined to bless the system of economics which per-
mitted such a conditions of things when they came to
suffer shortage from that cause. It was perfectly
evident that the subject needed the very careful con-
sideration of economists, because it was clear that we
could not have any drastic interference with our export
trade in coal. As had been pointed out by the 1871
Royal Commission, a time must be anticipated when it
would be more economical to import;, at any rate, part
of our coal, rather than to raise the w’hole of it from
our residual beds, and so, before complete exhaustion was
reached, importation should become the rule.

Export Tax Policy.

Nevertheless, it was our plain duty to consider this
question very carefully in all its manifold ramifications,
in order that the evil day of importation might be post-
poned as long as possible. The nation could not main-
tain its prosperity when through natural or other causes
we ceased to be exporters, and the .suggestion that had
been made for the re-imposition of an export tax on coal
to be devoted to work in connection with investigation
work into the more economical utilisation of coal was a
very sound proposition. The public could not be too
fully educated in this matter, in view of possible poli-
tical developments in the future. The questions of the
exportation of coal and the nationalisation of mines must
be decided some day. Sooner or later he felt convinced
that a leaf would have to be taken out of the book of the
extreme Socialist, who wanted to tax big incomes out of
existence. We should very gradually have to tax the
export of coal out of existence, and use the proceeds as
indicated above. Private enterprise had been allowed to
exploit coal in an unrestricted manner hitherto, subject
to safeguards for the miners, but the nation had an
inalienable right to demand that the coal supplies should
be dealt with in such a manner that its future prosperity
should, as far as possible, be provided for.

The Question of Substitutes.

Looking ahead, he personally saw no prospects of a
substitute. Oil had been looked to, but while admitting
its importance, it should be remembered that the whole
of the oil supplies of the world were not equal to any-
thing like the demand for power purposes made upon
coal; and then, again, it was very questionable whether
our oil supplies would last as long as our coal supplies.
In any case, it would mean an imported fuel. Then we
had been told that there were sources of power in the
wind, in the tides, and in the heat energy developed by
the disintegration of radium; but none of these auxiliary
sources of power was likely to be available within a
reasonable distance of time. Therefore, we must con-
centrate on economies in the means of producing and
using our coal, and, if it were necessary, we must rely
on something other than the coal export trade for the
maintenance of our foreign trade. As Prof. Jevons
wrote, “ Englishmen must take heed in the future to
rely less on exploiting our vast stores of national wealth,
and more upon the resources that scientific skill and
practical education can place at our disposal.”

The two remaining lectures will be given on
December 4 and 11.

SOME RECENT DECISIONS UNDER THE
WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION ACT.

[Specially Contributed.]

Lump Sum Compensation.

At Mold County Court there has recently been an interest-
ing instance of a refusal to register an agreement for the
redemption of weekly compensation payments by a lump
sum payment. In August 1914 a youth of 19 met with an
accident at Breconfield Colliery, near Mold. He was then
receiving 16s. a week, working slack time, but on full time
he could earn several shillings more. He was paid full com-
pensation of 10s. a week, this being in accordance with the
provisions of Schedule 1 of the Act, where it is provided that
compensation shall not exceed half the average weekly earn-
ings, with a maximum of £1, 'but that for a workman under
21, and with average weekly earnings less than 20s., the
compensation shall be the full amount of those earnings, sub-
ject to a maximum of 10s. In the latter case, however, it is
further provided that after at least 12 months the payments
may be increased to an amount not exceeding half the weekly
sum which the workman would probably have been earning
if he had remained uninjured, but not in any case exceeding
20s. It is further provided, however, that where any weekly
payment has been continued for not less than six months, the
liability may be redeemed by the payment of a lump sum of
such an amount as, where the incapacity is permanent, would,
if invested in the purchase of an immediate life annuity from
the National Debt Commissioners through the Post Office
Savings Bank, purchase an annuity for the workman equal to
75 per cent, of the annual value of the weekly payments, and
as, in any other case, may be settled by arbitration.

In this case the employers wished to redeem the weekly pay-
ments by a lump sum, and arrived at an agreement with the
workman and his representative. The feature of the case was
that, though the amount was considered satisfactory by those
concerned, registration was refused. In paragraph (9) of
Schedule 2 there is a proviso to the effect that, where it
appears to the registrar that an agreement as to the redemp-
tion. of a weekly payment by a lump sum ought not to be
registered by reason of the inadequacy of the sum, he may
refuse to record the memorandum of the agreement sent to
him for registration, and refer the whole matter to the judge,
who shall make such order as under the circumstances he
may think just. Here the employers offered £230. It was
stated that the -workman was almost totally incapacitated,
his chest having been crushed, and one arm disabled. One
of the witnesses was a miners’ agent, who stated that had

no accident happened the workman would now have been
earning £2 a week. Personally, witness was satisfied with
the amount offered, and so was the workman. The county
court judge, however, said that, even with a weekly pay-
ment of 10s., the workman would be entitled to a lump sum
payment of £400, and that with a weekly payment of £1,
on the basis of what he would now have been able to earn but
for his accident, he would be entitled to a lump sum payment
of £683. He would postpone registration, with liberty for
either party to make a further application. The amount must
be increased, and he would like to know if the workman
could do any light work.

Average Weekly Earnings.

Schedule 1 of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1906, pro-
vides that where total or partial incapacity results from an
injury by accident arising out of and in the course of the
workman’s employment the compensation under the Act shall
be “ a weekly payment during the incapacity not exceeding
50 per cent, of his average weekly earnings during the pre-
vious 12 months, if he has been so long employed, but if not,
then for any less period during which he had been in the
employment of the same employer. . .” In a subsequent
paragraph, however, it is further provided that for the pur-
poses of the provisions of the schedule relating to “ earnings ”
and “ average weekly earnings,” certain rules shall be
observed, the first being as follows : “ Average weekly earn-
ings shall be computed in such manner as is best calculated
to give the rate per week at which the workman was being
remunerated. Provided that where by reason of the short-
ness of the time during which the workman has been in the
employment of his employer, or the casual nature of the
employment, or the terms of the employment, it is impracti-
cable at the date of the accident to compute the rate of
remuneration, regard may be had to the average weekly
amount which, during the 12 months previousi to the acci-
dent, was being earned by a person in the same grade
employed at the same work by the same employer, or, if
there is no such person so employed, by a person in the
same grade in the same class of employment and in the
same district.”

In a recent case, an interesting question was raised as to
the extent to which “ average weekly earnings ” can be com-
puted on the basis of paragraph (1) alone, without reference
to paragraph (2). For seven weeks in winter the workman
had been employed in a certain capacity, when he was
injured by an accident arising out of and in the course of
his employment. As longer hours were worked in summer
than in winter, the average earnings of such a workman in
the locality throughout the year were much higher than this
workman’s average earnings during the seven weeks. The
county court judge held that, having regard to the fact that
the average during one year was the dominant principle to
be applied, and that the average earnings varied in the
summer and winter, it was impracticable to compute fairly
the rate of the workman’s remuneration by reference to his
earnings during the seven weeks. He therefore made an
award on the basis of 50 per cent, of the average weekly
earnings of a man in the same grade in the same class of
employment in the same district.

In the Court of Appeal, also, the question was decided
against the employers. The Master of the Rolls said that
the view advanced by the employers was that, as the work-
man had been engaged in the same work with them for
seven weeks, all that had to be done was to ascertain his
average weekly earnings under paragraph (1), by adding up
the wages paid during the seven weeks, and dividing by the
number of weeks, and that only when it was impracticable
to do that could the court fall back on paragraph (2). His
lordship, however, held that the simple arithmetical average
indicated in paragraph (1) was all that was required where
employment had extended over 12 months, but that in other
cases the dominant principle for the courts to apply was that,
in the wo*rds of paragraph (2), “ average weekly earnings
shall be computed in such manner as is best calculated to
give the rate per week at which the workman was being
remunerated.” Having cited cases to show that this inter-
pretation is not altogether novel, the Master of the Rolls
added that it is for the county court judge to decide whether
it is impracticable to compute the compensation as directed
in paragraph (1), and that if there is no misdirection, the
Court of Appeal could not interfere. While not endorsing
the view of the county court judge that 12 months is the
dominant period, his lordship was of opinion that there was
in this case no error of law such as to justify the Court of
Appeal in interfering.

Total Incapacity Only Partly Due to Accident.

Where total incapacity is wholly the result of an accident,
the practice is to grant the full statutory compensation of
half the average weekly earnings, subject to a maximum of
£1; in the case of partial incapacity, the compensation ‘‘shall
in no case exceed the difference between the amount of the
average weekly earnings of the workman before the acci-
dent and the average weekly amount which he is earning, or
is able to earn, in some suitable employment or business after
■the accident, but -shall bear such relation to the amount of
that difference as under the circumstances of the case may
appear proper.” On what basis should compensation be
awarded in the case of a workman who becomes totally
incapacitated, but whose incapacity is only partially the
result of the accident for which compensation is claimed?
An answer to this question has recently been given by the
Court of Appeal in the case of Lewis v. Wrexham and Acton
Collieries Limited. A colliery labourer, over 60 years of
age, and already in a bad state of health, had three of his
ribs broken as the result of an accident arising out of and
in the course of his employment. When he took proceed-
ings to obtain the continuance of full compensation payments,
which the employers had stopped on the ground that the man
had recovered from the consequences of the accident, evidence
was given to the effect that he had suffered from goitre for
14 or 15 years, that his arteries were thickened, and that he
had suffered from kidney disease. All the medical witnesses
were agreed that the ribs had completely healed up, but
there was a difference of opinion as to whether the general
breakdown and incapacity for work still existing was due to
the man’s previous condition only, or had been aggravated
by the accident. The county court judge found that the
incapacity was partially due to the accident and partially to
other causes, and made an award on the basis of partial
incapacity. The Court of Appeal affirmed the award, holding
that, having regard to the finding that the incapacity was
only partially the result of the accident, the county court
judge was right to make an award as for partial incapacity,
although, in point of fact, the man was at the time totally
incapacitated from other causes.