CHEAP SMOKELESS FUEL [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin, — In
your paragraph, on page 403 of Sept. 18th issue, you ask what Councillor Munro (one of the Glasgow delegates at the Smoke Abatement Conference in Birmingham) referred to when he said "that in Glasgow smokeless fuel was being sold in the streets at less than the price of ordinary coal." He was alluding to the smokeless ftiel made in the first installation of Maclaurin Plant erected by the Glasgow Corporation in one of their gas works. Before the coal strike it was being sold at the gas works to the coal merchants at 30s. per ton in bags, which allowed them to deliver it into the consumers' houses at
per MA., or 40s. per ton. At that time house coal cost the consumers from 2s. id. to 2s. 3d. cwt., and 40s. to 42s. per ton. This price was weight for weight less than the price of coal, but for equal efficiency it was very much cheaper than coal. Tests made by the Chief Smoke Inspector showed that the same weight of Maclaurin Smokeless Fuel burned in an ordinary grate for about 40 per cent, longer time than coal, and at the same time gave more radiant heat.
I enclose a leaflet giving the details of the Smoke Inspector's test. To distinguish it from other smokeless fuels it is called " Kincole."
Its production has been stopped during the strike owing to the uncertainties of foreign coal, but the plant will be started again as soon as the supply of home coal becomes normal.—I
am, Sir, &c., W. Baowranu. SMITH (Chairman Sub-committee on Smokeless Fuel.) City Chambers, Glasgow.
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