The Miners' Federation Executive, who waited on the Prime Minister
on Wednesday, had the' hardihood tonoraphtin of the high pribe of coal. Inasmuch as the cost of coal:getting had been greatly increased by the miners' own action in insisting upon a six-hours day and an increase of 30 per cent. in wages, the price was botuid to rise. Any other section of the com- munity might reasonably complain ; the miners ought for very shame to have kept silence. Their delegates took exception to the high price both of exported coal and of the coal supplied to manufacturers. Inasmuch as the profits on the export trade go to reduce the price of the cowl consumed in this country, while the moiiey paid by foreign customers helps to improve our balance of trade and to steady the exchanges, the pries of exported coal cannot be too high, from our own standpoint. The coalowners do not receive the whole profits; whioh are
shaded with the con:Mimi-Ky. those profits were to increase, then the price of coal for industrial purposes might be reduced.
Previous page
