§ Sir R. CLOUGHasked the Secretary for Mines (on Monday, 29th. May) (1) whether, in view of his statement that it is important that the House should realise that there are many other factors in the cost of household coal besides the wages of the miners and the profits of the owners, such as the cost of carriage, railway rates, and the cost of distribution, he will give some idea of the percentage of cost which must be added in respect of each contributory factor to the pithead price of cottage coal sold, for instance, 50 miles from the colliery producing it;
(2) whether, seeing that the high price of cottage coal diminishes its consumption, and that it would benefit the millers to increase consumption by efforts to ascertain and remove the causes of the high prices, which, according to authentic statements, are not due to the colliery owners or workers, an inquiry could be instituted to ascertain information as to these causes, if it is not at present available?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANhas furnished the following particulars:
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STATEMENT, furnished by the Coal Merchants' Federation of Great Britain, showing the Retail Selling Prices of House Coal delivered in various Provincial Centres at 25th May. 1922, and the Items of Cost included in the Retail Selling Prices. Items of Cost. Northampton. Cheltenham. Derby Best. Baddesley Cobbles. Kitchen Coal. Best. Medium. Cheap. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Pit price 31 0 27 0 22 0 29 0 25 0 19 0 Railway rate 8 6 6 1 5 8 9 2 9 2 9 2 Wagon hire 1 6 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 Distribution charges, including factorage 9 6 10 0 8 9 9 6 9 6 9 6 Retailers' profit 0 6 1 5 0 7 0 4 0 4 0 4 Total - Retail price, delivered 51 0 45 6 38 0 50 0 46 0 40 0
Items of Cost. Leeds. Manchester. Best. Medium. Best. Seconds. Kitchen s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Pit price (average) 36 8 28 7 30 3 28 7 24 5 Railway rate (average) 3 4 1 9 5 5 5 5 5 5 Wagon hire (average) 1 0 0 9 1 4 1 4 1 4 Distribution charges, including factorage 8 11 8 7 10 1½ 10 1½ 10 1½ Retailers' profit 0 8 0 4 1 2½ 1 2½ 1 2½ Total—Retail price, delivered 50 7 40 0 48 4 46 8 42 6
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Items of Cost. Colchester. Liverpool. Best Silk stone. Best Bright House. Hard Kitchen Nust. Best. Seconds. Kitchen. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Pit price 28 0 26 3 22 0 38 0 34 0 26 0 Railway rate 10 11 11 1 10 7 4 0 3 0 3 0 Wagon hire 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 Distribution charges, including factorage 10 3 10 3 10 3 9 3 9 3 9 3 Retailers' profit 0 10 0 5 0 2 0 9 0 9 0 9 Total—Retail price, delivered 52 0 50 0 45 0 53 0 48 0 40 0 NOTES.—1. Since the 25th May the retail selling prices of coal have been reduced. 2. The figures for Cheltenham differ from those given in the reply on the 29th May. The discrepancies in the earlier figures were discovered by the Coal Merchants' Federation in the subsequent process of verifying the details.
Items of Cost. Cardiff. Best House. Best Monmouthshire. Kitchen. s. d. s. d. s. d. Pit price 31 0 26 0 21 6 Railway rate 3 6 3 0 3 0 Wagon hire 1 6 1 6 1 6 Distribution charges, including factorage 9 0 9 0 9 0 Retailers' profit 1 0 1 0 1 0 Total—Retail price, delivered. 46 0 40 6 36 0