COAL AND SLACK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 268, 1 August 1918, Page 5

COAL AND SLACK

INTERESTING QUESTION OF PRICE. ; Consequent upon tho shortage of coal supplies tho regulations Imposed upon •morchants. in Wbllingujn. .w!uo deal direct with tho public are that in making any sale .the purchaser must takean equal quantity oi stock or coke in order, of course, to eke out supplies. It has been represented to The Dominion that tho retail prices that tiro being ohargod for slack are disproportionate to the price of whole coal compared with ,tho price paid at tho. pit-head. It is urged that tho price of one particular slack at the pit-head, is ss. per ton, and for coal 225. per ton. Assuming that the carriage charges are tho' same for slack as coal,, both arrive in Wellington with 'the samo margin of dift'eronee, yet the price of slack per owl. in Wellington is 2s. 3d., and tho price of coal 2s. 8d„ or 2s. Od. per cwt., according to the source of origin. This, it is pointed out, would appear to mean that the profit on slack is one of ail proportion, andi in excess of what should bo charged, for if coal costs four times ns much] as slack at the pit-head, why, it is asked, is it being sold at tho ruling prices? If it be taken for granted that merchants aro earning a fair profit on coal by selling at 2s. Bd. nor.cwt. coal purchased, at 225. per ton at the pit-head, tho question has been nut why should they not be able to sell .at Bd. per cwt. slack purohased at ss. por ton at the pithead? Representations have been made to tho Mayor (Mr. J...P. Luke. M.P.), on the subject, and in the interest of the community at large, which is feeling the jiinch in regard to coal and coal-prices (luring tho current cold snap, ho, has communicated with the Minister of Mines (the Hon: W. D. S. Mac-Donald) as under:— , "Considerable discontent of public that the price charged for small coal is samo as whole coal. In pre-war dnvs small coal if sent to ports was vended at a ranclii lower rate than whole. Tho public are glad to obtain any coal thnt the state of war permits, but resent the present imposition of price' for low-valuo stuff. I shall be dad if you will make. a public statement; on the matter."