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I. THE NATURAL RESOURCES OP SWEDEN.
animals, the supply of power, as is well known, is derived in our own times
first and foremost from coal of diverse kinds, mineral oils, different
vegetable substances, above all wood, and from waterfalls.
Mineral fuels. Nothing during a thousand years has altered the
conditions of human life to such a degree as the use of mineral fuels, which
began to be used, in an increasing degree as the latter half of the 18th
century. Thanks to this, it has now become possible in a short time to
transform into productive energy untold supplies of power, which have been
stored up during endless ages of the world’s past history. And it is the
inhabitants of the great coal countries which have in our own days
taken the lead both in intellectual and material progress. Sweden has been
compelled to utilize considerable portions of her products in the purchase,
from lands, more happily situated in this respect, of coal for her rapidly
growing industries. For instance, in the beginning of the decade 1890, 90
kilogrammes per inhabitant were imported, 812 kg. in 1910, and 765 kg.
in 1912. Cannot this be changed?
On this point we have, in the first place, two natural resources to
consider: the occurrence of coal in Skåne, and the peat-mosses distributed over
the whole country; but also possibly, in the tracts of Västergötland among
others, mineral-oils, and the ivood-spirit which can be obtained from the
deciduous products of our forests.
Coal. The district in North-West Skåne which is coal-bearing has a
probable extension of about 800 square kilometers, with a coal supply
of certainly 106, conceivably about 300 millions of tons, that is to say,
enough for a few decades to supply Sweden’s present needs. The
comparatively low proportion of best quality coal in the strata makes it,
nevertheless, impossible to produce it economically, without at the same time
extracting lower qualities of coal, and the valuable fire-proof clays which
occur with it. The problem, therefore, that has presented itself and still
continues to do so, is how to discover a satisfactorily extensive use for
these products. By, e. g. creating an increased export for the products of
the clay industries, or by the utilization of inferior qualities of coal in the
production of iron, or by generating electric power it is possible to increase
the production beyond the somewhat more than 300 000 tons which has
been the result of the last few years. If one can succeed in maintaining the
home production of coal at about Vis to V 2o of the total consumption, which
has been the case of låte years, one ought to be fairly satisfied. This,
however, is so small a fraction of our needs, that the question arises
whether no possibility can be found of bettering this state of affairs.
Feat. It is anything but easy to estimate the value of the
peatmosses for the next few decades; and for a longer period it is of no
purpose to make any Calculation. We are aware that extensive
peatmoss areas exist over the greater part of the country, but the main
question, touching the economic worth of this source of power, involves to
quite as large a degree two other factors. One is the extraordinary tena-
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