29. Mr. HERBERTasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the addition of the same increases in price to all classes of coal, which has raised the cost of fine slack from about 6d. or 1s. per ton to about 19s. per ton, is having the effect of stopping the sales of fine slack and thus increasing the consumption of better classes of coal; and whether, seeing that much use has been made of coal wagons to remove slack which is now unsaleable on to dumps, in order to remedy this he will reduce the price of slack?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to a question put by the hon. Member for Woolwich on the 7th instant. I may add that it is not the fact that difficulty is being experienced at the present time in disposing of slacks.
Mr. HERBERTIs it not a fact that there is a vast amount of slack at present dumped outside the collieries as unsaleable?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThat is not my information, but I will make inquiries.
§ Mr. PEMBERTON BILLINGIs it not a fact that slack is being delivered as the best house coal, and will the hon. Gentleman see that this is stopped?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIf the hon. Member will give me any information in his possession I will inquire.