THE HOME PITWOOD SUPPLY. 7 



imported foreign pitwood is almost invariably brought back to 

 the collieries in coal trucks. If, therefore, all the coal waggons 

 going into the Highlands returned loaded with pitwood, the 

 additional cost to the railway company would be much less than 

 if special trucks were sent for the timber traffic, as appears 

 to be the present custom. The present rates to the Inverness 

 area, which is fairly typical, represent about id. per ton per mile, 

 or say 12s. 6d. per ton. The cost of felling, peeling, sawing and 

 cartage will, naturally, vary according to the class of wood and 

 the distance from the railway siding. It is unlikely under the 

 most favourable conditions to be less than 3d. per cubic foot, 

 and may in many cases be as much as 6d. per cubic foot. In the 

 table given on page 4 it is estimated that completely dried 

 pitwood might, under favourable conditions, measure 46 cubic 

 feet to the ton. This is perhaps too high a figure to take as an 

 average, which may be stated at 42 cubic feet per ton. Taking 

 the manufacture and loading at 4d. per cubic foot gives 

 a cost free on rail of 145. per ton, and adding the railway 

 rate of 12s. 6d. would show an outlay at the colliery sidings of 

 26s. 6d. per ton of 42 cubic feet, or 7*6d. per cubic foot. This 

 leaves out of account the price of the standing timber, and the 

 profit to the merchant. 



It must be assumed that prices will, after the war, fall to about 

 the level hitherto experienced. These prices may be stated at 

 from gd. to rod. per cubic foot, or 3 is. 6d. to 35s. per ton of 42 cubic 

 feet. These prices, applied to the example of the Inverness area 

 above referred to, only show a surplus of from 5s. to 8s. 6d. per 

 ton, or i-4d. to 2"5d. per cubic foot for the price of the standing 

 timber and the merchant's profit. This is much too slender a 

 margin to develop any regular trade. Could, however, the 

 railway companies see their way to reduce rates by 25 per cent., 

 provided empty coal trucks were used and a regular supply of 

 several thousand tons of pitwood guaranteed, the margin of profit 

 would be increased by fully 3s. per ton, or upwards of id. per 

 cubic foot. It must be admitted that a price of even 3d. per 

 cubic foot for standing pitwood timber is not a highly attractive 

 one, but it at least offers the possibility of a market for a class 

 of timber which is not at present readily saleable in large 

 quantities. It must also be kept in view that under normal 

 conditions pitwood timber merely represents the thinnings and 

 cleanings of middle-aged spruce and Scots pine woods, and that 



