COAL COMMISSION.

Every Fact to Come Out.

THE Coal Commission re-assembled today at Westminster, Mr. Justice Saukey presiding, Sir Leo Money raised the question whether members could have the production of all memoranda or advice given by any department of State to the Government or the War Cabinet with regard to matters bearing on the investigation.

The Chairman doubted whether they were entitled to confidential advice.

Sir Leo Money replied that this did not satisfy him, and he asked the chairman to reconsider his ruling.

The Chairman said he would so so. He hoped tomorrow afternoon they might sit in private and discuss questions which had been raised.

Sir Leo Money submitted that the terms of reference covered any document prepared by any Government department.

The Chairman promised to reconsider the matter, adding that so far as he was concerned, he was determined that every fact should come out.

Mr. Frank Pick, commercial manager of the Underground Railways of London and the London General Omnibus Company, gave a resume of the conditions of the retail trade, and stated that a year ago there were 200,000 tons of coal in stock in London. Stock coal was an asset and the Coal Controller was asked to consider the expense of stocking a justification for the price charged to consumers. The present basis of distribution was as economically conducted as was fairly to be expected from a trade of this kind.

Mr. Balfour asked Mr. Pick if it would be quite possible, but they would have to depend on the willingness of merchants and dealers to continue.

Dealing with the labour charges, witness said the men employed in retail distribution asked, as did the miners, for better conditions of pay and hours of service. Their programme was much the same as that which the Commission was considering, and, therefore, it must be brought into account in determining the cost of coal from owner to consumer. Hitherto a rise in prices had followed a rise in wages.

The examination of Mr. Peck was continued of the points connected with his administration of the Household Fuel and Lighting Branch of the Coal Mines Department of the Board of Trade. He said he had set himself to the principle that when the control was wound up, he should leave everybody as nearly as possible in the position in which they were before control was established.

SHOOTING AFFRAY.

THE shooting affray at Cardiff Railway Station on January 6, in which an American naval seaman and coloured men were involved, was investigated by Mr. Justice Shearman at the Glamorgan Assizes at Cardiff on Thursday, when George Thorpe, 27, a coloured seaman, was charged with shooting Mr. Fred Lincoln, a boatswain's mate, of the American Navy.

The case for the prosecution was that Lincoln remonstrated with a coloured man for using offensive language to a young lady collector, and that he was then set upon by about 15 coloured men, including the prisoner, who fired three shots at him from a distance of ten paces, but none of the shots took effect.

Thorpe's defence was that it was a case of mistaken identity. The jury found the prisoner not guilty and he was discharged.