§ Mr. HOGGEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give in detail the basis of the estimate of £281,500,000 as the cost of raising 192,000,000 tons of coal in the year ending 16th July, 1920?
§ Sir AUCKLAND GEDDESThe sum of £281,250,000 which I gave in my statement on Monday is made up as follows:
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Labour £210,250,000 Timber and Stores 34,500,000 Other costs 13,000,000 Royalties 6,000,000 Owners' profits 12,500,000 Compensation to owners for working under the instructions of the Controller of Coal Mines mines which would not otherwise be worked 3,000,000 Cost of Coal Mines Dept. 1,000,000 Margin for emergencies 1,000,000 £281,250,000 The first four items are based on actual costs in September, 1918. In the case of labour there has been added the cost of the Sankey award wage and of the wages of the 163,000 men who entered the mines up to the 26th April, 1919, reckoned at the pre-award rate (an average of £3 per week). These items amount to £30,000,000 and £25,400,000, respectively, for the year, but it should be observed that 15,000 additional men entered the mines between the 25th April and the end of June.