COAL SITUATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 197, 2 June 1945, Page 3

COAL SITUATION.

SHiP HELD UP ON COAST. (P.A.) GREYMOUTH, This Day. A consider-able sea was still running on the Grey bar yesterday, and the Kiwitea, with a cargo of gas coal for Auckland, was held up in port for the sixth day. The Kartigi and Omana have been ready to sail for three days, and the Gabriella completed loading yesterday. The Titoki, which was due to load coal at Greymouth, is loading coal at Westport for Wellington. The Holmlea, Rata and Storm are due at Greymouth. The sounding of the bar has been prevented by heavy sea, but it is expected that the depth will have been adversely affected by the south-west-erly seas and the absence of a fresh in the river. A Christchurch message says that the haulage of coal from the West Coast to Lyttelton for transhipment to the North Island would present many difficulties, but in an emergency some coal could be delivered to the north in this way, said a railway official this morning. A scheme lias been prepared whereby the North Island coal could be brought to Lyttelton for shipping, but should the scheme become operative, then Canterbury coal supplies would have to buffer. In the allocation of waggons it was never intended that W<st Coast waggons should be brought over to Christchurch. At present hopper waggons could make three runs a day from say Gvanity to Westport, hut it would take' those same waggons three or four days to make the run to Lyttelton and back. The whole success of such a scheme depended on the quick turn-round of The waggons, and any delay at Lyttelton due to shipping, weather or any other cause, would immediately affect its smooth running, said the official. In an absolute emergency, North Island coal could be brought to Lyttelton for shipping, but such a programme of haulage could not be sustained for any length -of time.