PRICE OF FUELS FOR GAS PRODUCERS
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THEprice to-day of a specially prepared anthracite for gas producers, put up in 56-lb. bags, iS 60s. per ton at the colliery. Allowing for the cost of drying, overheads, bagging, etc., this appears to be too high. In October it was 56s.
In correspondence with a firm who are making another type of solid home-produced fuel, to whom I wrote complaining that 60s. was too high, I was told that, " The price of really suitable fuel for gas-producer vehicles must be high, due to various reasons connected with its manufacture, and, if anything, the prices will still further increase. Even if the final price to the user were as much as £5 per ton that would still be only 20 per cent. of the price paid for petrol, so that if it were necessary to use twice as much it would still be a considerable economy, quite apart from the fact that one fuel can be obtained and the other cannot. I would advise you not to rely upon receiving any lower prices."
I have since heard from a private source that it' is actually the intention of this firm to charge per ton for their fuel, but I have no proof of this, Personally, 1 do not think they dare. To encourage the use of gas producers, and thus economize petrol and oil fuel, the Government has promised that there shall be no tax on home-produced fuel for five years. This is only fair and right, but it does not seem tO me to be fair and right to take advantage of the situation by charging an exorbitant price for this fuel on the excuse that, compared with the war-emergency price of petrol, it is so much per cent, cheaper, and that it can be obtained whilst petrol cannot.
We know all about the old tale of supply and demand, etc., affecting prices, but when it comes to taking advantage of the situation created by a war, then it can be classed as profiteering, which is forbidden by law. Let us hope that the makers of solid home-produced fuels will play the game as good Englishmen always try to do. W. H. GODDARD.
Leeds, 11. •