§ 41. Mr. JAMES BROWNasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been drawn to contracts recently 168 made by the Berlin municipal authorities for the purchase of British gas coal at 19s. 7d. per ton; whether he will give the price paid for similar coal during the corresponding period of the previous year; and will he state what is paid for coal for similar purposes in this country?
§ Colonel LANE FOXI have no information as to this transaction beyond references in the Press nor am I able to give figures for the corresponding period of last year. I understand from the trade journals that market quotations for coal for similar purposes in this country range, according to quality, from 14s. to 21s. at the pit.