ON FUEL ECONOMY. 



101 



The upward tendency of prices has continued since the close of 1918, 

 and, according to a recent declaration made on behalf of the Government 

 in the House of Commons, consumers will have to face an all-round 

 increase on the foregoing prices of 6s. per ton during the coming winter. 



The Committee views with concern the recent rapid decline of the 

 annual outputs per worker employed in British mines. During the 

 thirty years preceding the war the returns had shown a steady decline, 

 as follows : — 



Average Annual Output 

 per Worker 

 Decade Tons 



1883-92 320 



1893-02 295 



1903-12 280 



That this downward tendency was peculiar to British mines is shown 

 by the following comparative figures : — 



Comparative Annual Outputs per Worker employed in the Mines in 



During the war the British outputs have continued to fall at an 

 alarming rate, until in 1918 they reached the low level of 232 tons per 

 worker employed. In marked contrast to this, the American figures 

 have continued to rise at an accelerated rate until in 1916 they reached 

 732, and in 1917 the phenomenal record of 768, tons per worker em- 

 ployed. The official figures for the total production of coal in American 

 mines in respect of each year since 1913 are as follows: — 



Outputs of Coal in the United States during the Period 1913-17 



inclusive . 



It would thus appear that in the year 1917 the American output per 

 worker employed was more than three times that realised in British 

 mines. 



_ The following figures may be given, as showing how the wholesale 

 prices of typical classes of American fuels have moved during the 

 war: — 



1919. H 



