THE RANIGANI COAL FIELD ‘Tue first Englishman to discover the existence of coal in ‘Bengal was probably Mr. Suetonius Grant Heatly who, in 1774, was the Collector of Chota Nagpur and Patamau, In that Year he und a Mr. ohn Summer obtained from Wate Hastings a Heense empowering them to work coal mines in “Pachete and Birbhum” A’ Mr. Redfeme subsequently Joined the firm which as Sommer, Heatly and Redfern applied for and obtained the exclive ight. for 9 period of 18 years, to work and sell epal in Bengal and is dependencies. It adstion to paying 4 Government royally Of onesfith of the value ofall the coal raised by them, they also apreed fo supply Government with ton thousand ‘maunds of coal a yest for a period of five year. Under {his agreement the firm in 1775 announced the arvval oF 2,500 maunds or 19 toas of Panhet coal, and asked thet shouldbe taken over This appears tobe the es occasion ‘98 which Bengal coal in any large quantity was brought into the market. The coal however wat not taken over wil 1777 when upon a Second application from the firm the Commissary of Stores was directed to examine sd report spon it 41777 about the same time Farguhr and Mote asked Petmission "to hore cannon and to east shot and shell in "he district of Jhotria, Ing hetween the rivers Damm and Barakar” They gave as their reason for the selection ‘of that locity that it "abounds in iron ove and is contiguous to the coal mine of Mess. Sumner and Heatly Unfortunately the coal Hestly produced. way reported. ss being mech inferior to that of England, In fact. the Commissary of Stores, a the result of a series ofBL ae i as Mail a i14 surpwae cutters in Bengal ean eatn from § t0 12 annas a day for lunderground work, while unskilled labourers on the surface ‘eam only fourto five annas.a day. Women may earn fom Vto 2 annas and as a result of this high total income of 4 family there 1s a general rise of labour rates around all ‘mining contes. Ele lighting, elec blasting, and electric Coal cutting are now being introduced into some of the Bengal mines. In\a very few mines safety lamps ae used bbut im the great majority no appreciable quantities of fre damp are found. Accidents are also rare, There has been fot only. a very low death-ate from isolated accident in Indian coal mines but also a general absence of those disasters which led in Europe to special leisation forthe protection of the miners. During 1908, however, there was 2 serious falling off inthis respect and the dentate per 4,000 persons employed was 1.37 a8 compared with 86 in the preceeding year In his report the Chief Inspecior of Mines writes: "The desir to mrease rain, the frequent attempts to get easy coal regardless of sale conditions, Particularly wespassing to 0b pillars, the eastl way in which Work-people wander about the haulage roids in Bengal mines. and the large amount of untrained labour is responsible for much of the increase” For purposes of inspection the district of Burdwan together with the adjoining district of Bankura fs included in inspection eiteles Nos. 2 and 3. Cicle No. 2 slg includes all'mines in the distiet of Manbhum east of Adra and Gobindpur and all mines im the distict of Manbhum east ‘of Adra and Gobindpur and all mines in the district of Hazaribagh it also inclodes all mines in Baluchistan, the United Provinces, the Punjab, and Ajmer Merwara, Cicele No. 3 includes the Santal Parganas, Birbhum, Bombay, the Central Provinces and. Mada. (AuthoritiesThe Commercial Products of India, Sir George Watt: ohn Murray, Londan, 1908. Statistical ‘Account of Burdwan, Sir Witham Hunter. The Imperial Gazeiter of India, Vl" IL Report ofthe Chief Inspector of| Mines for 1908)