The -Government announced on Wednesday that the inland coal trade
would be freed from control on March let. The reasons assigned for this welcome decision were that the output of coal had increased and that the foreign demand had fallen, so that there was no longer any danger of a scarcity. The fact is that our foreign customers have revolted against the excessive Price asked.for British coal and are buying their fuel from America and even from China. Thus the anticipated profits on the export trade, which were to yield the miners extremely high wages and at the same' time give the home consumer coal at cost price, have vanished. State control has brought the coal trade into such a difficult position that the Government were confronted with the possibility of having to pay it a subsidy. We do not doubt that tho coal-owners,when left to themselves, will contrive to make the mines pay their way as they always used to-do. It is highly probable, too, that our coal will coat us lees and -that the export trade will revive now that prices
have been reduced by half. The Government's dealings with coal have been a useful object-lesson in the extravagance and folly of State management of industry. '
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