A correspondent asked:—"Have you any reports regarding the transportation of coal from Pootung? I understand that it is impossible to get it transported, but that certain con panies, anese owned, are undertaking this task at a rate of from $5 to $7 a ton, instead of the usual one dollar.—We are not in a position to discuss the price of transportation, it might be governed by a law of supply and demandy we ihave no information on hand at the present moment."
"It seems it is not so much supply and demand but that the foreign companies are barred, creating mono-politic prices—So far as we are aware, all public utilities can get out their coal without difficulty."
"These are private owners; there are about 300,000 tons of coal in Pootung, and it is an important.matter-—What is the ownership?"
"American, French and Belgian—When was it transferred?"
"It was not transferred. They belonged to them and were stored in Pootung before the hostilities.—Are you positive?"
"I ar positive about that," rejoined, the (correspondent, and there the matter dropped.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.