On hydrogenation, the Committee stated that the plant at Billingham was virtually in full operation, but that a number of difficulties' had arisen in the treatment of coal and the yield of petrol per ton of coal processed had not reached that originally anticipated, It was confidently expected that most of these difficulties could be overcome in a projected new plant. For this new plant to give 180,000 ions of petrol per annum the smallest economic unit it was estimated that the capital cost Would be £8,000,000.
The Committee expressed itself in favour of an extension, for a further period of twelve years, of the guaranteed preference on home produced spirit, the rate being increased from 4d. to 8d. per gallon, and of the guarantee being extended to include Diesel oil for use in motor vehicles.
The Committee considered that a grant of direct financial assistance for the establishment of further low ear-lionization plants could not be justifed.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.