§ MR. GEORGE WHITELEY (Yorkshire, W. R., Pudsey)To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the average prices of Middlesbrough No. 3 pig iron, of steel rails, and of ship plates; also of cotton cloth nine pound and eight and a-quarter pound shirtings; and also of the standard woollen goods supplied by contract to the War Office and Admiralty in the years 1872 and 1902 respectively.
(Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) The average selling prices of Middlesbrough No. 3 pig iron at the works in 1872 and 1902 were 65s, 4d. per ton and 46s. 10.21 d. per ton respectively. The average selling prices of heavy steel rails and ship plates in the North of England and Cleveland in 1902 were £5 8s. 10d. and £5 14s. respectively. The information as to these prices in the possession of the Board of Trade only goes back to 1887. The Board of Trade have no official information as to the course of prices of cotton goods of the particular descriptions named. The average price of plain cotton piece goods exported in 1872 was 3.51d. per yard, and in 1902 2.01d. (unbleached), and 2.46d. (bleached). The last part of the Question should be addressed to the War Office and Admiralty.