The Daily News. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1915. PRICE OF COAL IN BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1915. PRICE OF COAL IN BRITAIN.

The interest taken in the strike of the \\ elsli coal miners, which now happily appears to have been settled, has drawn attention to what was really the foundation of the strike—the high price of coal in Britain. In an article which appears in the British Weekly early in Slav last, the writer, Mr. Chiozza Honey, refers to the report of the Departmental Committee set up to inquire into this high price of coal problem. The report shows clearly that neither increased cost of production nor increased cost vf distribution accounts for the excessive charges, and that at most three shillings a ton can be attributed to extra cost of production and distribution in Lond.n. yet the price charged leaves from four to eight shillings per ton as she.* profit. It must be remembered that Britain is based on coal; in peace and in war alike she cannot carry on without it. Yet in war as in peace we allow "our" coal to be exploited for private interests. Coal has risen in London by from 7s to lis per ton since the war began Gas is up because coal is up. Indied, many things are up because coal is up; a London baker, for example, is put to excessive costs because of his coal bilT, and those costs he has to charge to the consumer of bread. Now, the eoinm'ttce shows that 7s to lis .per ton cannot be justified as caused by the war. The truth is that the war has been an excuse for, and not the cause of, the greatoT part of the rise. In short, the price -of coal ia nothing less than scandalous. The verdict of the committee is; "It appears probable from a consideration of dates that it was the rising prices in London which first stimulated collicrv owners

to secure a share of the increases paid by the consumer. Advances in pit-head prices served as ail occasion for further raising retail prices in London, and ties again induced colliery owners to demand higher prices fur coal .not already sold or only partially delivered mid-r I contract. The proems appears to haw been extremely simple. Kach par!,-, working behind the si-eivs, uses i!e--I'' advan e price-. '| lie ( , i;l | ~K UI. r '!<• Will one ll,.ire out o] the merchant . and the merchant retorts in kind. Tie'.nly limit to this deplorable process is J when such a figure is reached (hat t|„. j '•oiisniner can pay 110 mure. It is ; signiliir.nl that the remedy pr..posed !e. the i-..;niii!i l.'-e is that which we pn! iVward a t'ev,- d-iys ago Stale control , J "I the output, and have the first call on J us own coal supply. Tdr. Monev adopts i this view, lie says: "1 like those words, I 'our own coal supplies.' Yes, the co:il J of the [ nitcd Kingdom belongs to the j people (d the United Kingdom, and we - are in the middle of the greatest war o r history. \\ henever the Government cares to do so it can place the nation'* !

coal at (lie disposal <>f our people at seasonable rates while fairly ivimmiTnt'"K fiosfi who get it. T liave often said that in peace, and now in war, T am backed by the grave report of a departmental committee. At the beginning of | the war the Government assumed control (if the railways, and satisfied ;he shareholders with their ordinary peace profits. It is a great pity that the same plan was not adopted in the case of the mining companies. It is not too hire now to adopt it, or. for that matter, to sweep into the Treasury the coal war profits of the last nine months, giving the shareholders the most they are entitled to. viz., profits as though there were no Avar. Surely one might go a little further, and say that a co'il shareholder, like a railway shareholder, should think himself lucky at this to be getting ordinary profits as though there we're 110 war." These! remarks anent the supply of coal are equal'.'/ applicable to many other articles of commerce in respect of which the public Haw been exploited under I the "war cioak," bottom th« Old LjjifiS "and fn. the dominions. We ar^Eeeling l

sequences of this nefarious policy in New Zealand, ami the explanation us t/> the coal business will enable liie community to how wide ivaclmi:.' is the greed that has found an outlet

in the greatest crisis we have had io face.