Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/281

 Rh The total production of coal during the years 1869-72 was as follows:—

Hence it appears that, notwithstanding the reduction in hours, the output of coal was increased in the year 1872 by nearly five and three-quarter millions of tons. An examination of the evidence tends to show that the chief causes of the increase in output were (1) the development of old mines, and (2) the opening of new mines.

(1) The Select Committee expressed the view that 'there is no doubt of the capacity of existing collieries to keep up the present supply of coal, and that with an adequate provision of suitable labour the supply could be largely increased; but a period of time extending over several months is requisite to open out or to extend new workings, and to qualify workmen who have been otherwise engaged for the special employment in the collieries.'

In order to develop the mines a greater proportion of the total workers employed were sent down the pit. 'Every effort,' said Mr. Dickenson, the Inspector of Mines of the North and East Lancashire District, 'has been made on the part of colliery owners and managers to get out a great quantity, and the high wages have been inducing persons who perhaps have been working as day men in the collieries to become pit men.' In other words, the number of day men were reduced, and the number of pit men increased.

(2) Old pits were reopened and new pits sunk. The high prices led to the opening up of new collieries. Large numbers of persons were attracted from other industries, but in some districts there was a scarcity of men. The official statistics give the total number of men employed as 370,881 in 1871, and 413,334 in 1872, but, for the reasons already stated, the former figure cannot be taken as quite accurate. Time was required to train the new workers, and even then they never became possessed of the same skill as those who had been brought up in the pit. Farm labourers who had been accustomed to rough work proved to be the best material, as they possessed the physical strength that was wanting in the cotton or silk-spinner.