§ 24. Mr. HARDIEasked the Secretary for Mines the average underground haulage cost per ton of coal in the longest distance to be traversed and also that of the shortest; and can he state the average haulage distance in our mines?
§ Colonel LANE FOXAccording to information supplied by the Mining Association to the recent Royal Commission, the average haulage distance in October, 1925, in British mines was 92 of a mile. I regret that the other figures asked for are not available, but the hon. Member will find some general information on the subject in Tables 2 and 3 of Appendix 26 in Volume 3 of the Commission's Report.
§ Mr. HARDIEDoes the average distance given include the distance travelled by wheel-less tubs in Somerset-shire, which is represented by the troglodyte Members of this House?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThe distance travelled by wheel-less tubs is, as a rule, extremely small—only a few yards.
§ Mr. HARDIEBut is it included in this distance?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThis is an average taken over the whole country.
§ Mr. HARDIEIs it not a fact that when we deal with the figures relating 1939 to haulage in mines we are dealing with tubs on wheels and not boxes without wheels?
§ Colonel LANE FOXPerhaps the hon. Member will put down that question.
§ Mr. HARDIEI think I will.
§ Colonel LANE FOXThe figure I have given is an average of all the distances.