PRICE OF COAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 18, 16 October 1907, Page 7

PRICE OF COAL.

V EXPORT DUTY. -.-'■- •,.'■.-•; ;;■■■■ . '■ '--j_ -■ : - . J- , . rm: 15LTJECT. OP ITS REMOVAIV■■ freetrader's admission. - BT TM.EGBAPH—PEESS ASSOCIATION—OOPI'MOHT. ' |'"'*/'■-;•' '■■ ; ; ; ! ' London, October 14. • ' Mr'-. Phil.' Snowdcn,;: Socialist M.P.' for Blackburn, in a speech '-declared that the inoroose in tho prico of coal was partly due tq'lthe action, of the ■Right' Hon. H. H. , 'Asqiyth (Chancolior of tho Exchequer) in repealing tho coal taxi - Ho know that tariff reformers would s'cize his>eniark as telling against freetrailo, but ho would lot tho truth ,bq't'oid' even though tariff reform might pre--j;wyiV'.-. ■';"' ■' [ ../'■".':;/:.■' .:'■.'..-. ". ■ ■ j i-- :; /•'■ ':•"'A FOREIGN ORDERLOST. V ;i;-'.' : ~.-, New v Yorfc, October -.14. The United States Navy Department has ordered -from American collieries 123)000 tons''of steam'coal for the Pacific cruiso of ' the American-fleet. 'AH'teriders for "W.elsh coal : wero 'negatived. ' .."-... • : TnB ; EiSE operates. '■" "English' i files to .liand show that, including '■-.' »tf : incMse''Ofvls. 'a"-ton' which' was then con-. • templatcd, tho price per ton of popular foe's • XUnotc:— .-;. ~:■.-,.. " Best household 2fls. Household , ... 235. '■' .-Silkstoi.es'-:. ... 28s.•:■ -Nuts ..:■■,... 235. Cd. 'Derby Bright and .Hard cobbles ... 2ls. .- ... . •-.'others'- .... 275. ..,. . . .'. . .■-.These are the highest prices that have been "■••eaohed':in' August smefc the recordyear 1800 ' when- ; the : figure vforycertain kinds of coal ■•wached.-as much as 355., and hard cobbles ■fosi-te 275. W: Compared with tho correspondIrig 'period'of the-tast qualito are. '■ and, tho others vary, from 2s. 6 Acting Ttho''' "Express", (which is a ,:tariff:-reform paper), 'two mam reasons are. 1 given '.'for ••' this 'upward ' movement;'-- which _ is ;■ not-, believed,, to. have,>reached ..its limit yet. ■ ; ""' tho-coal -tax a ttn :l by the present :■ which has 'facilitated.'export in large quantities, and ; has ' nii>de' coal cheap'er'.to the foreigner at. the expense'; of ! ttre ■ British • householder. ■. :"2 The inability,-of-the railroads to transport coals quickly'enough, frpm the pit to.tho consumer. . ' '"

. "There is, in addition, the fair.of a great I - -'strike"in..the,Welsh' , coalfields,' ' ' ' . ..■ i^Y'This'; outlook was considered gloomy for th 6 .: householder, fo» ns a Tule tho .sharpest rise .' 6f>alL d6es.:.not come till, three or four weeta '' fceiore Christmas.'',' "I do not think, however, s eaid ; a-membor of the London Coal Exchange, ■ ,"tha't >the '1900 -.price ..will., be; attained., Thero is no','South. African .war. to; excuse it. : '■'- '■ A '-'.colliery ' agent" seeks .to ■ prSve the case : agninst the /coal export trade by the following figures :— ' ' . >! ' ; "DuHiiJ. J the first'seveh months of 1907 there ,were^3s;Boo,ooo,,tons, exported. .The .quantity '' for the corresponding'period of last year, whs -rei,6po,O(>O.T •• ■■■■ --•v • ■'■'.-• ■■,"■ "."-■. .'■'■ :• Again,-* take, .the last two , months or tho ;;years ; :'l?os.and lflOG fi .The. figures arc:— ,_. " ' : ■'" J '" 'IDOG.; ■ .",- 1805;'■.'■■■ . ■■■' ■'.;■.■■■ - ' Tons.- . Tons. . ■ .. ..Novbmljer. ... >>.. 4,762,86& Sii .3,990,798 ■''■'■iDecember; ... ;.. ! . :.. 4,013,173 .. s J . 'sent tone, in t. , ISOS'. "over 6,000,000 tons more. Foreigners'will ■pay'almost any '. prico. coal, and .'■ fh6nY, the ■ .tax ,was , abolished,- it;, .only,. meant ■:hat/Go much loss money' came" into this ■''iountry:-' l -' l -.'- , ' v ■'"■'"■ ' !, V- ■■:" "■' •,-': ; ■ : 1 ] "Scores' of ships are nowlying.&t the northeastern" and'.the,.South Wales ports waiting to-'get coal which tho railways are not able'to .■bring'-la3t ! .enpugh.; ; ,,. :.:;•,-' ....,•; : / , ;'.. 'J*puHng the; seven;, months' of 1905—from ''March "to .November—when- the tax- was in r forcef'it?br,ought-:iri:a- revenue 1 of ■:In' the'.twelve.,-months of .the., previous year. the gain to.the'natiohal exchequer-was J£2,183,- ■ 573.'.- ;; ;'- ■■' ■■ ■'• ■■ : ..y ; •' : ■' "What has the abolition of this tax done? ■ It, has j-robbed" our, -national resources of a substantial sum, and it has raised the price of'coal,'to' the' consumer'.' The loss must fall on the British 'taxpayer. ■ .'. - 1 i ,•, . ,; Nor is. it; to .our- advantage that.our .coal ehonld/ be sent out,in such enormous, quantities. 1 .But 'that' is ' altogether - andther ■ qUeevtion.'rirV-"■■-.-:,.:; "■ •;''■ v<. '.'r ■•; •-. Mr ...- :: , -,:■■> .. .In .industrial/., undertakings, • as in' the ' household,' the 1 rise in 'coal is a formidable - one.' -'Mr.'■'W. :! B. l -liawson, a financial 'authority, says, 'in an article in the "Financial -Review of Reviews":—. : . "On the one hand,, the bobmhas added about' '£775,000 in,the past half-year to thb receipts of,the_chef jdoal-carrHng roads. v On the.other ,hand, : it, has l-aised the market prico ; of coal about :35., a.ton. The nine great trunk lines mil have to pay for fuel alone an' additional : a7ear; -For every: sKilling'' extra they' earn lh.their mineral traffic they add '25., to • : their' - fuel-;bill. J '\ ■~ ,; '■■■•.■■,-•--. -. ~ i>, So the:rise in coal has a very,real bearing .on ~the .pending demands of the railway emyloyeos, and Mh Philip Snowdcn knows it.