246 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
Oil Fuel.—During the recent coal strike successful attempts have been made 
in several directions in this country to substitute oil fuel for coal. Oil has 
thus beea used with good results in public electric power stations, for driving 
steam locomotives on the railways, and also in the case of several large ocean 
liners. So many advantages are claimed for oil as against coal firing, in regard 
to cleanliness, labour saving, and general efticiency, that the question of how 
far such substitution can be economically kept up or extended in future will 
depend largely upon the prospects of ensuring regular and adequate supplies 
of fuel oil at reasonable prices that can be established. 1t would undoubtedly 
be advantageous to the country if its power stations, railways, and other such 
public services could be rendered less dependent upon coal than they have 
hitherto been. Such a consideration makes it more than ever important that 
our future sources of supply of liquid fuel should be thoroughiy explored, 
and therefore the Committee proposes in the immediate future to mclude such 
an inquiry in its programme ot work. 
Fedcration of British Industries Fuel Economy Committee.—The Committee 
has learned with much satisfaction of the establishment by the Federation of 
British Industries of a special Committee (of which Sir Robert Hadfield, 
Mr. H. James Yates, and Professor Bone are members) to assist manufacturers 
in economising coal in their operations, and of the good and effective work that 
it has already accomplished in this direction. The Committee hopes, through 
the said three members, who are common to both, to keep im touch with and 
help forward the work of this new Committee. 
The Board of Vrade Gas Committees.—Since the Committee was last 
reappointed, the Board of Trade, under powers conferred upon it by the Gas 
Regulation Act, 1920, set up two ad hoc Special Committees to deal with the 
important question of whether or not it is necessary or desirable to impose any 
limitation as to the amount of (a) carbon monoxide, and (6) incombustible 
constituents (‘inerts’) permissible in public gas supplies. As the Committee 
had, in its Second and Third Reports, already expressed the view that such 
limitations are desirable, it appointed a Sub-Committee to arrange for its views 
being formally represented to the Board of Trade Committee. Upon the 
question of carbon monoxide, the Sub-Committee had the advantage of conferring 
with Dr. J. S. Haldane, who expressed himself entirely in agreement with the 
Committee’s views that the CO-content of a public domestic gas supply ought 
not to be allowed to exceed 20 per cent. Dr. Haldane himself gave evidence 
to this effect before the Board of Trade CO-Committee on February 10 last, 
and subsequently Mr. Robert Mond presented to it the considered views of 
this Committee upon the subject, in accordance with its previous Reports. 
Owing, however, to the Chairman’s illness, no formal representation was made 
about the Committee’s views as to the question of the limitation of ‘ inerts,’ 
although the Board of Trade was aware that they were in agreement with the 
recommendations made in 1918 by the Fuel Research Board.* 
Changes in Membership.—Since its last reappointment, Mr. W. B. Wood- 
house has resigned from the Committee, owing to pressure of other work; and 
Mr. S. R. Illingworth, of the Treforest School of Mines (South Wales), has 
been co-opted as a new member. 
Future Work.—In view of the serious position of the coal mining and 
consuming industries, of the increasing attention that is being given to the 
possible substitution of other fuels for coal, and therefore of the consequent 
continued need of a body of disinterested scientific experience and opinion 
that can be brought to bear upon the various aspects of the fuel question, the 
Committee asks for reappointment for another year, for the purpose of com- 
pleting the investigations outlined in its Third Report a year ago, with a grant 
of 351. The patronage and help of the Committee has also been requested in 
connection with the proposed Smoke Abatement Exhibition to be held in London, 
in March and April 1922, under the auspices of the Coal Smoke Abatement 
Society. 
8 Three members of the Committee (Messrs. E. V. Evans, D. H. Helps, and 
H. James Yates) were, however, of the opinion that, in view of the provisions 
of the Gas Regulation Act, 1920, for the future sale of gas on a thermal basis, 
gas undertakings should be allowed a free hand in regard to carbon monoxide 
and inerts. 
