Presidential Address, M.S.N.S. (6cc565cc-c06f-4eb7-b803-717878c836d5)

"FIRST OF ALL I should like to express to the members my sincere thanks for having had the privilege of serving them as President during the year now ending, to the Council for their guidance, and to the Secretary-Treasurer for his untiring efforts on both the Society's and my behalf during my year of office.During the .past five years the Canadian •Coal picture has changed considerably. In the West, production has been almost halved and many mines have been closed, due to the development and expansion of oil and natural gas industries, which, with some imported residual oil -on the Pacific coast -have provided competition which has been impossible to meet. The two major railway companies have embarked on an oil-burning and dieselization .programme and with this has .been lost one of the largest available markets for coal. Natural gas pipe-line installations still further threaten the remaining outlets for Western coal.In the East, retention of markets has also been a •problem, due to the intense competition provided by imported American •coal and the importation of residual oil.Because of cost it is impossible for central industrial Canada to be supplied with .coal from the Maritimes and markets are, therefore, restricted to fringe areas in Ontario and Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces.The dieselization programme of the Canadian National Rail ways has meant the loss of a large market for Nova Scotian coal and it is fair to assume that within a comparatively short time the market will be completely lost."