100 



REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. — 1919. 



is, in fact, a fundamental necessity to the maintenance, not only of our 

 great iron, steel, engineering, shipbuilding, and textile industries, but 

 of our shipping trade and sea power. 



Thus in 1913, the chief raw materials which we produced in excess of 

 our requirements were coal, clay, and salt. By far the most important 

 of these was coal, of which we exported 97-5 million tons valued (f.o.b.) 

 at 52 milHon pounds steiiing. Half of the 10-5 million tons of iron 

 smelted in our furnaces was from imported ores. We imported also the 

 whole of the copper and cotton, 95 per cent, of the zinc, 90 per cent, of 

 the lead, and about 80 per cent, of all the wool and timber used in 

 British industrial establishments. In addition, we import.ed some 257 

 million pounds' worth of food, drink, and tobacco. 



The great need of the moment is that the true facts of the situation 

 shall be brought home to all sections of the community. The Com- 

 mittee, therefore, desires to draw attention to the following compara- 

 tive data concerning the movement of coal prices in Great Britain and 

 the United States during the war-period. The British figures are all 

 derived from official, or other equally reliable sources, whilst those 

 relating to America have been extracted from the Bulletins issued by 

 the Bureau of Labour Statistics (U.S. Department of Labour), to which 

 the Committee desires to acknowledge its indebtedness. In converting 

 the American prices into their English equivalents a dollar has been 

 taken as 50 pence. 



Outputs of Coal and Average Pithead Prices in Great Britain. 



1 Estimated. 



Prices per ton paid hy Consumers in Great Britain. 



2 The corresponding pithead prices would be about 3s. 6id. less than these. The 

 average price (at the works) during the first six months of 1919 has been 26s. 6rf. 

 per ton. 



