Canada. Royal Commission on Coal (1944-1946) : The Royal Commission on Coal was established under Order in Council P.C. 7756, 12 October 1944, under Part I of the Inquiries Act (R.S.C., 1927, c.99) and on the recommendation of the Minister of Munitions and Supply. The Commission was mandated to inquire into and report on matters pertaining to the coal industry in Canada having regard to pre-war, present and anticipated post-war conditions and the probable future development of Canada. The Commissioners were William F. Carroll, Chairman, Angus J. Morrison and Colin Campbell McLaurin. The Secretary was Robert Dudley Howland.
In spite of the enormous resources of coal in Eastern and Western Canada, about 50 per cent of the coal consumed in Canada during the period from 1926 to 1942 was imported, mainly from the United States. Canada imported coal because Central Canada was more easily supplied from Pennsylvania and Ohio rather than from the more distant Canadian coal-producing areas. Since no commercial deposits of anthracite coal were mined in Canada, large amounts were brought in from the United States. To extend the market to Canadian coal, the Government of Canada granted subventions to coal producers beginning in 1928. The government also granted bonuses on Canadian coal converted to coke and sold for domestic use, and on Canadian coal used in the manufacture of coke.
During the World War II controls were imposed on coal to insure that reasonable supplies and prices were maintained in the domestic market. This was not always possible and, at times, fuel supplies slumped below the desired levels.
On 24 March 1944 C.D. Howe, the Minister of Munitions and Supply, pointed out in the House of Commons that "the war has had the effect of changing and disturbing pre-war arrangements for the production and marketing of coal in all parts of Canada." Because Howe believed that there was a need for a revision of post-war coal policy, the Government of Canada decided to appoint a royal commission to investigate all phases of the coal mining industry in Canada.
In October 1944 the terms of reference of the royal commission were made public. Because of the broadness of their mandate, it was generally understood that the commissioners would investigate the production and distribution of coal, industrial relations, the production of by-products and synthetic materials, the manufacture of coke and its by-products, marketing, the adequacy of domestic coal supplies and related matters. (See House of Commons, Debates, 24 March 1944, pp. 1849-1850; Canada Year Book, 1943-1944, Ottawa, pp. 311-314 and Newspaper Clippings, RG 33-63, Vol. 8, file 5-2.)
Hearings of the commission were held in Halifax, Sydney, Kentville, Stellarton, Amherst, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver from 16 January 1945 to 1 April 1946. The commissioners also visited the coal fields of the United States, including Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama. There were 328 exhibits filed with the commission. RG33-63 General Inventory