§ 101. Mr. JOHN DAVISONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received any complaints that merchants purchasing quantities of coal for abroad systematically find the consignments to be as much as 3 per cent. short, and are unable to get any redress from 463 the colliery owners, the coal exporters, the shipowners who provide the boat, the captain of the boat who is responsible for the safe delivery of the cargo, or the insurance company who have insured it; and whether steps can and will be taken to stop this practice of short consignments?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LANE-FOXNo, Sir; I have not received any complaints of this sort.