HUGE ENTERPRISE

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1933, Page 5

HUGE ENTERPRISE

MOTOR SPIRIT OUTPUT: ABSTRACTION FROM COAL BRITISH PLAN UNFOLDED. NEW AVENUE FOR EMPLOYMENT. (United Press Association— By Elt-.eteto Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) ~ (Received 9 a.m.) RUGBY, July 17. The Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, announced in the House of Commons today that legislation would be introduced in the autumn which the Government believed would assure an immediate advance iu the manufacture of home-pro<luced motor spirit. -\\

The proposal would take the form of. a guarantee preference of 4d per gal i lon in respect of light hydro-carbon oils manufactured in this country from indigenous coal, shale or peat. The guarantee would be for ten years-froi.i April 1, 10.°»4, subject to an arrange? meat to vary the period of the guarantiee according to the actual namely, the difference between ..the Cns--" toniß duty and the, excise duty,-if any. excise duty should be imposed.. : \:'■'.. If the preference remained at the. present level of 8d per gallon,. thje, period of the guaranteo would be fouiif and a half years. If it were reduced to 4d per gallon, the period would.be nine years, and the .intermediate rate of the preference would vary the period of the guarantee proportionatly.

Mr MacDonald said it was estimated that 7000 men would be directly em* ployed, and a slightly lesser number in?. directly. Under the plan in view, ,abou£ 100,000 tons, or 30,000,000 gallons IbF petrol a year, would be produced, consuming 850,000 tons of coal and giving, employment to more than 1000 miners... Tn addition there would be employment in connection with plant..„ . Tha. cost, to the Treasury would be very small. ~