§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that arrangements are being made to bring considerable and increasing quantities of Westphalian coal to London, in flat-bottomed boats loading far up the Rhine, at an inclusive land and water freight of about 6s. a ton, owing to the nominal rates charged by the German State Railway for the development in England of German industry; and if he will cause this new source of practically subsidised foreign competition to be carefully watched, that the British coal-mining industry may take such steps as are possible to meet it?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE,) CroydonI have no special information on this subject, but I shall be happy to make inquiries through Her Majesty's Consul at dũsseldorf.