This is almost entirely due to In= creased freight and insurance charges which have risen from Rupees 7 por fon in 1939 to Rupees 40 per ton in March 1940. Although the quantity fof Chinese coal estimated for shows considerable decrease, the price has ineveased from 16/6 per ton for most of 1039 to 19/- per ton for the period January to June 1940, and for the ist six months of 1940 the cost will be 21/- per ton.+'The net result of these increases is that the total cost Jof fuel consumed Increases. from $2,950,350 in 1939 to an estimated figure' of $6,617,000 for 1940 based on an exchange rate of 44d.
Increases also occur "under. the heading of Salaries and Wages due to the increases in high cost of living ind rice allowances that it has been found necessary to grant; under manufacturing and distribution owing to the higher level of prices for imrials caused by the Euro-igher freight and snd under manage ment and general due to increased surcharges on Municipal rates, power. fete, and the increased cost of providing passages and pensions which fare payable in foreign currencies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.