NOTES AND QUERIES. 



7' 



coal ; {b) that, for the purpose of these calculations, short props 

 only are used, the pit timber referred to in {a) being mostly of 

 this type. 



The following table shows the relative effect on the price per 

 ton of coal of an increase in the price per loo lineal feet of each 

 class of prop, assuming that the 6 to 8 lineal feet used consisted 

 only of this class. 



As, however, the proportion of each size used varies, the 

 increase must be averaged over all the sizes, and from the table 

 it will be seen that the average increase per ton of coal does 

 not exceed 5d. One of the classes of props, it will be observed, 

 increased in price more than ioo%, while the others are well 

 above 50 %. 



For the purposes of comparison, the following actual retail 

 prices of coal are also given : — 



September 191 4 . . 20s. per ton, dvd. 



June 1916 . . . 30s. ,, 



Increase los. 



Of this los. only 5d. (or a little over 4%) is due to the increase 

 in the price of pit-wood. 



Table Referred to. 



"* The proportions indicaled are those contained in the Acland Award of 

 June 1916. 



-The prices quoted are for September 1914 and June 1916, the former 

 being the first organised prices in Scotland between the Scottish home-timber 

 merchants and the Scottish coal-masters, and the latter being those fixed by 

 Mr Acland when he arbitrated between the same parties in a subsequent 

 contract. These figures for June 1916 may be said to be the highest average 

 prices reached for pit-props in the first two years of the war, although 

 instances are known where even these prices were exceeded. 



