| | | 1886 | 1887 |
| |--------------+---------------+---------------+
| | per gal. | per gal. | per gal. |
| |----+----+----+---+-----------+---------------+
| | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| |----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+-----+
|Crude naphtha | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4½ | 0 | 0 | 8½ |
|Benzol (90 per cent.)| 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
|Solvent naphtha | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|Burning naphtha | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10½ | 0 | 0 | 10 |
|Creosote oil | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0¾ | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | |
| | per ton. | per ton. | per ton. |
| |----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+-----+
| | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| |----+----+----+----+----+-----+----+----+-----+
|Pitch | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 6 |
|Sulphate of ammonia | 21 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 10 | 0 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

This shows a great fall in value from highest to lowest, which seems to
have been touched last year, except in the case of pitch and sulphate of
ammonia, both of which have marked a considerable decline, even since
last year, but it is pleasing to note that the others have shown at
least some slight improvement--crude naphtha and benzol having during
the year risen nearly one hundred per cent. in value. Let us hope that
this is the precursor of a general rise in value from which we shall all
profit. For the purpose of bringing about this much desired end, I
understand that some of the gentlemen present to-day have been burning
their tar in the retort furnaces, and as it will be interesting to know