§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been called to the fact that coal costing 46s. a ton is now being burned in South Wales and for hewing it the colliers receive 2s. 6d. per ton; and whether he can explain how it is that in the district where the cost of transport is negligible there is such a difference between the two figures quoted?
§ Mr. SHINWELLThe wages paid to hewers in South Wales amount to more than 2s. 6d. per ton, and hewers' wages and railway rates are only two of many items in the costs of production and distribution.