COAL VEND CASE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 118, 11 July 1911, Page 5

COAL VEND CASE.

Sydney, July 10. The Goal Vend case has been resumed. Mr. Knox, senior counsel for the defendant colliery proprietors, opened Iris address, and argued that it was impossible to monopolise Newcastle coal, as, except for gas-making, it had been shown in evidence that other coals were as good. Where an action was taken to preserve, trade with the intention of ensuring the fair and proper remuneration of all engaged -therein, was no offence against the Act. After dealing with hguj es showing that the profit to own'ers was only a shilling a ton, he submitted that no Court should interfere with the conduct of an industry by people who understood it. He conceded that a combination of colliery proprietors was necessary in the interest ol the miners, also that the inter-

( si s of the shinning industry would he maintained if the Non castle colliery oum-rs lowered the price of coal. 10very competitor in Australia would 1)0 crushed out of existence. There had I uva no evidence to show that pi-oats iiad been exorbitant. Kvep it they liao,. how was the Court going to say whether they wore excessive? No detriment arose from an increase in the price unless it was raised out of all proportion to its intrinsic value.

(Received 11, 10.-15 a.m.) Sydney, July 11. In his address, Mr Knox asserted that from 1880 to the present time the Newcastle colliery proprietors realised hitcher juices in the foreign markets them in the inter-St ato trade.