ROAD DAMAGE 63 



thought there was no doubt we should get it, 

 although he knew the difficulties and what they 

 were. But we should have to get that quantity 

 next year, and the Coal Controller was naturally 

 interested in what prices he had to pay for the 

 suppUes of wood to enable him to get his coal. As 

 the coUieries were now controlled, it was the Coal 

 Controller who was to be responsible for the expendi- 

 ture, and the Coal Controller was about to issue, 

 or had issued to the coUieries a schedule which had 

 been produced after very considerable consultation 

 with. aU concerned, that was, with the Scotch 

 authorities, with various Enghsh merchants, and 

 coUieries and coUiery owners, and so forth, and 

 under those regulations collieries would not purchase 

 the supply which they required to carry on at a 

 price beyond a certain figure. That was the position 

 in regard to pit props and pit wood. He hoped we 

 should be able to get all our supplies. We were 

 drawing freely from Ireland, Scotland, and various 

 parts of England. The coUiSries themselves, as 

 they knew, had formed Associations. The Coal 

 Controller had divided the country into certain 

 divisions, not only with the view of aUocating 

 portions of the timber within those areas for the 

 specific uses of the colUeries concerned, but a^so to 

 regulate and prevent wastage of traction on the 

 railways, which at the present time was one of our 

 difficulties. 



"Road damage was another point which affected 

 all of them in dealing with home-grown timber^ 

 It was a question which he had had constantly under 

 consideration since he became ControUer. He had 

 made many suggestions, but so far he had not 

 got any tangible results. At the present time, 

 however, the matter was under very special con- 



