WAGON SHORTAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 71, Issue 35, 21 November 1950, Page 4

WAGON SHORTAGE

COAST MINE IDLE

(P.A.); GREYMOUTH, This Day,

The Wallsend State coal mine was idle to-day for the third day in succession, and other district mines had their output affected, as a result of an acute shortage of railway wagons. Wallsend was idle yesterday and on Friday because the bins are full, but the prospects are that all district mines will be working to-morrow. It was stated to-day that the shortage of wagons, both “flats” and hoppers, was now worse.

This afternoon’s output at the Strongman’s Mine, where the bins are also full, had to be dumped in the open air, a procedure that has been necessary several times in recent months.

Approximately 17Q employees are idle at Wallsend, which has a daily production of about 300 tons, but normal work was carried on at the Strongman Mipe. It is expected that some hoppers will he released from the Greymouth Wharf to-day to enable production to be resumed at Wallsend to-morrow. Two vessels—the Kiwitea and the Rata—were loading coal to-day for Wellington and New Plymouth re spectively, while further relief is expected later in the week with the arrival of the Omana, which is to take in a coal cargo for the North Island.