66 which relate to " General Trade" (total imports). In the case of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal the figures for years prior to 1905 relate to "Special" trade. From 1st July, 1905, the returns of the various South African Provinces were compiled by the South African Customs Statistical Bureau until the formation of the Union of South Africa on 31st May, 1910, from which date the statistics have been compiled by the Department of Commerce and Industries. The figures given for 1905 and later years for the whole of South Africa relate to General Trade,' as comparative figures for a series of years are not available for "Special Trade." In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Australia the export figures represent exports of domestic produce; the import figures, however, include imports of coal (if any) which may be subsequently re-exported. In other cases the figures given relate to "General" trade. The figures in these tables are inclusive of coke and patent fuel in the case of Sweden, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland (from 1922); of coke in the case of British India, Cape of Good Hope (before 1910), Orange Free State (before 1910), United States, Japan, Russia (since 1910). Previous to March 1906 peat, coal and lignite briquettes were not shown separately in the German trade accounts, and were included with coal exported. The exports from the United Kingdom include culm, cinders, coke, and patent fuel. Wherever possible, the imports and exports of coke and patent fuel have been converted into their coal equivalent on the basis of the assumption that for every 60 tons of coke exported, 100 tons of coal were consumed in its manufacture, and that the patent fuel exported contained about 90 per cent. of coal, the remaining 10 per cent. consisting mainly of pitch. This has been done for the United Kingdom (up to 1920), Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland, United States, and Japan. In the case of the United Kingdom for 1921 and subsequent years the conversion has been made on the basis of the quantities of coke obtained at gas works and coke ovens, the quantities of manufactured fuel made in Great Britain, and the quantities of coal used in those operations. In 1924 about 67 tons of coke were obtained from 100 tons of coal. As to the inclusion of bunker coal, see Report, page 12. The remaining tables (VI and VII) refer to the consumption of coal and show the quantity retained for consumption, as well as the consumption per head of the population; also the quantities that are of home production, British production, and the production of other countries, and the percentage proportion that such quantities are of the total consumption. Except where stated in the footnotes to the tables, the particulars given relate throughout to calendar years. Colonial and foreign coinages have been converted into £'s sterling at the following rates : Rupee. At the rate of exchange used by the Government of From the year 1920 the average yearly rates of exchange in the respective centres have been used for converting foreign currencies into sterling. PART I.-COAL PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION, ETC. TABLE 1.-QUANTITY AND VALUE of COAL PRODUCED in the Principal Parts of the British Empire and in the Principal Foreign Countries. * Excluding 2,268,000 tons of dirt raised with the coal; the quantity of such dirt is included in the particulars for previous years (see memorandum, page 9). From 1919 excluding Alsace Lorraine and from 1920 excluding Saar and Palatinate; from June, 1922, excluding Polish Upper Silesia. In 1919 the output of the Excluding coal produced in Ireland in 1922 and later. ** Provisional figures. † From 1918 the figures are for Republic of Austria. From 1918 the figures relate to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, |