§ Mr. FIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can make any arrangement to reduce the freights now levied by shipowners; whether he is aware that the price of coal in Dublin is causing much alarm and constitutes a serious charge, particularly on the working classes; and whether he will make inquiries with a view to moderate and reduce the present price of coal?
Mr. HARCOURTAs regards freights, I can only refer my hon. Friend to my reply to his question of the 22nd June. The pit price of coal is regulated by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, and I am in correspondence with local authorities in Ireland as to the possibility of limiting merchants' charges.