§ General CROFTasked the President of the Board of Trade how the estimated percentage of 5,000,000 tons of dirt at present included in the exported and coastwise coal is proposed to be dealt with by the Government; whether any official action has been taken to exclude the dirt; and whether his attention has been called to the meeting of the Southern District Association of Gas Engineers and Managers held recently, when they came to the conclusion that the coal could be properly cleaned and 5,000,000 tons of wasted tonnage due to the extra dirt contained in the coals might be saved?
Sir A. STANLEYThe Controller of Coal Mines is fully alive to the significance of the increased percentage of separable dirt in coal and is sparing no effect to decrease it. The importance of the matter has been impressed both upon the miners and the management of collieries by letter, and in some cases by addressing mass meetings. An officer of special experience has been appointed to make investigations at collieries with regard to specific complaints and to consult both with the management and workmen regarding the steps to be taken to remedy the trouble. In so far as the percentage of separable dirt is affected by the cleaning and picking of the coal on the surface the increase is partly due to the shortage of labour and machinery necessary for that purpose. I am not prepared to accept the figure of 5,000,000 tons as applicable either to the amount of dirt in exported coal or to wasted tonnage, and I am not aware of any reliable data upon which such an estimate could be based.
§ General CROFTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, bearing in mind the fact that the by-products obtained in the production of coal-gas are necessary to the munition industries and as fertilisers, he will take steps to encourage the consumption of gas in the 1890W place of raw coal by householders, in order that the gasworks may have first call upon all available coal supplies?
Sir A. STANLEYThe Board of Trade recognise the wisdom of this policy, and the Board's action is only limited by the amount of coal which can be got into gasworks by the transport facilities at present available.