ON FUEL ECONOMY. 277 



Fuel Economy, — Fifth Report of Committee (Professor W. A. 

 Bone,* Chairman; Mr. H. James Yates,* Vice-Chairman; 

 Mr. Egbert Mono,* Secretary; Mr. Egbert Armitage, M.P., 

 Mr. A. H. Barker, Professor P. P. Bedson, Dr. W. S. Boulton, 

 Professor W. E. Dalby, Mr. E. V. Evans,* Dr. W. Galloway,* 

 Mr. J. E. Hackford, Sir Egbert Hadfield, Bart.,* Dr. H. S. 

 Hele-Shaw,* Mr. D. H. Helps, Dr. G. Hickling, Mr. A. 

 Hutchinson,* Mr. S. E. Illingworth, Principal G. Knox, Pro- 

 fessor Henry Louis,* Mr. H. M. Morgans, Mr. E. Myers, 

 Dr. J. S. Owens, Mr. W. H. Patchell,* Mr. H. Stafford 

 Eayner, Mr. L. L. Eobinson, Mr. A. T. Smith, Dr. J. E. Stead, 

 Mr. C. E. Stromeyer, Mr. W. C. P. Tapper, Mr. W. Thorney- 

 croft, Professor W. W. Watts,* and Mr. C. H. Wordingham *) 

 appointed for the Investigation of Fuel Economy, the Utilisation 

 of Coal, and Smoke Prevention. 



* Denotes a member of the E.xecutivc Committee. 



I. The Coal Situation. 



Since the Committee last reported, the fuel situation in this country has been 

 dominated by the effects of the coal crisis of 1921. The output of coal from 

 mines in Great Britain during the year ending Decpmber 31, 1921, fell to 163 

 million tons, of which 24.66 million tons were exported, and a further 11 million 

 tons (including about 133,000 tons of manufactured fuel) were consumed by 

 steamers engaged in the foreign trade. There were also exported 443,565 tons or 

 gas coke, 850,074 tons of manufactured fuel, and 292,648 tons of other sorts of 

 coal fuel. Owing to the coal stoppage, there were importea into the country 

 during the year (but chiefly during the three months April-July inclusive) 

 altogether some 3.433 million tons of coal, and 136,424 tons of coke and manu- 

 factured fuel. 



In its last Report the Committee drew attention to the effects of the then 

 high coal prices upon the prospects of the iron and steel industry in this 

 country ; and as this particular industry reflects almost better than any other 

 the effects of coal prices upon production, the following observations may 

 appropriately be made upon the present situation. 



The crisis of last year in the coal trade was the final cause of the severe 

 depression which in the pig-iron and steel trade had gradually been setting in 

 since the miners' strike in the autumn of 1920. The latter came upon the trade 

 following a period of high prices and abnormally high demand, and precipitated 

 a complete cessation of business and great difficulty in obtaining new orders. 

 This was further accentuated by the general post-war economic conditions in 

 the world's markets. At the sama time on the Continent there was a cheapen- 

 ing in the cost of production, together with a serious drop in exchange values 

 and pressure of the banks on the Belgian and 'French works to realise stocks, 

 and in consequence the foreigner was enabled to deliver pig iron into Great 

 Britain at a lower price than it could be made at home. Hence, whilst the 

 pig-iron sales had been maintained fairly well up to the end of 1920, the first 

 months of 1921 saw the importation of both pig iron and steel into Great Britain 

 on a large scale, foreign pig iron being delivered into Scotland about thirty 

 shillings per ton below the cost of manufacture in Great Britain. The coal 

 crisis of the following months completed the disaster. 



The combined effect of these various causes is well shown by contrasting the 

 production of pig iron and steel in the United Kingdom in the years 1920 and 

 1921 respectively. During the year 1920 the output of pig iron was 8,034,700 



