BRITISH COAL TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19688, 15 January 1926, Page 9

BRITISH COAL TRADE

COMMISSION’S PROCEEDINGS. evidence for the owners. (Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, January 13. Mr Evan Williams, president of the Mining Association, questioned by the chairman of the Coal Commission (Sir Herbert Samuel), declared that they hvere not afraid of the competion of oil in the future. He said he believed that in the case of big liners the cost of oil burning was greatly in excess of that of coal burning. There was no reason why, in the course of time, coal should not be put on liners in a form enabling it to he used with greater economy than oil. Mr Williams expressed the opinion that the very existence of Britain depended upon a larger export coal trade. Large contracts were often lost simply through a difference of ISJ or 3d per ton in price. The chairman declared that if the association’s proposals were accepted the British miners would be working longer than French, Belgian, or German miners. Mr Williams replied that tbeir wages (Would be considerably higher. He asserted that the unrest in the industry was not spontaneous, but the result of a deliberate attempt by the miners’ leaders to prevent the reconstruction of the industry by private enterprise after decontrol. A memorandum prepared by the Mining Association, which was submitted prior to the taking of evidence, declared that if railway operating costs were reduced all rates on mineral goods traffic could be reduced by 25 per cent.— Reuter. REDUCTION OF RAILWAY COSTS NECESSARY. LONDON, January 13. At the resumption of the Coal Commission proceedings Mr Evan. Williams, cross-examined, by Mr Herbert Smith, president of the Miners’ Federation, said that he regarded the payment of £6,000,000 yearly to the royalty owners equally as justifiable as the payment for pit wood. He refused to consider reducing the payment or nationalising the royalties and denied that the miners were paid miserable wages. Mr Williams added that the dwners did not desire to weaken or interfere with the Miners’ Federation, but they refused to negotiate for a national agreement. He declared emphatically that there could be no real prosperity in the country until the railway costs were brought down.— Reuter.