KILLING THE COAL INDUSTRY

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 224, 20 September 1915, Page 2

KILLING THE COAL INDUSTRY

A SERIOUS POSITION. ! WAR TAX. DEHTA'[T.>N MKKTS COMMERCIAL \ .K\T. A ilfpMl.i: mi of rr iii-.'iitativ.-s of tin'i ...;.l mining in th. , Aupklaii.l l |. ..v ,mv tiu- in .riiiiia in.-f Mr. T W.! W.i tf. lorn .• ;il Ai;mt of t'n- Ni-« ! /.-a!. 11, ! K.ul-Aayr.. at tin- llmmlii-r .ifl 1 ~:.,-ii,■,..-. Tlnw- prifi-nt iin-liidi'il Mr. \\. -I. K.ilpli iT.m;.iii io. 1. 1;. KlliiNom , ..'-!! , ':il 1 0.1. R. A. Aii-kin W.i p.i i ... . an I Captain and .1.1 i I ■ . . ' I j ' -I ■■■! it.ri I ' 1 1 Mr. I!. \ii,!..r-.Mi. vl.-i- priVidi'iit of thp '< haii . - ~; 1 on ni.-r.-p. pr.-id.-d. .nid said ] • ■!•- .-.! 1 ijr.itul.i-i- t!i.- Raihvnv ! 1Vp.1.-l I . 11l .... liaMM- 111.1.1.' -Urh a SPli i -il.lr ;i- '~ lit-it.-nt. j Mi Ka'nh .>.i- Hi.' lii-t sp.-ak.T. and I -:i :1!i 11 :..- ,!,*ir.'d t . 011 thr I !:ai|-.' .i\ |1.. a tin.-111 nlial til,- n.-w r.1,1 Aii.i ;':.-u'i!- n-.r.uit Io thr i-nni I'olli;..!>i .7- i~■ a.!.in ..mil In |..t .'rut. .vonl I i nir.in .1 -■ ■: o , !- '.!iii\ to t'l.- . oal-uiiniu^ I■'■■ I- V,- », :,.!',. ||,s . •],,. ~„!> ro-n !I■ in. s ,-'i hn i paid 1 duidclid n tilt' \or't"i 'rlan,! ■.!-! var. Tii.M r.-ilisp.i *:.i. ii ■i- tliat 11 Mould I. '1 fnl. 111111 in :.i'.- pj i . .-.»-t of !i\ ii.-. It «as not r-o ;-i :. : . :'. In p.- .-.Mit. i.ldit.onal fr..i}rlii thai t'—\ oij.-.-t.'d to n< to tin- .-•■:. -mp I t.i\.iti.-n V.\ ; i v.'iir «r im;nirt.'d 4"S.».oii<l ton- i.; r from N.-H.-a<tl.-. » ti:<. ' oi- I■. I.i!: .1 in iil ..n In tin- country I .<.• «<•'<> a.!. to pnulupi' coal til it waI iu-t .'.- n>l ..I :..<th liitiiDiiniHM :m,l j '.- , 1,1. W r-t;.o:-t roal was thp l"'-t in I '■'"'■<• .'..-I !. |'!i,. i-oM of .-oa! |irndiH't on |!w : -■■'! • up >.'!v matori.-illy. nn-tal. p p 11: n.>arl; '.o ;.,., , . ~t. Th,.,-.- « is'.lU'o h ■I.i:i...ii fr..:n - .mi.. ~,' tin- l-Vd<-iati.m i :,v ■ 'f -i -" !■■ - ■-'"■ ri-r in »ai!<T.. In WV - t'l.-r,. .1.1. :■ ,<|!.;p, !m'.-:ui»< t!.r •i- ii.--- ■ int.-d t ■ s'l.ir.' tli- hiiy.- «ar ; r..:it- 11-.-.' t'.i.'r.- «an no .'.]U;v.il.-nt ■'.:■ t , M paiii. , *. on Till. I'.'U ■!-. id-d m>- to rai-p tin- pripM ■liirmu 1.1: li> I nd-r t:n«p ronditioii" hi-,-iitit." 1..! tliat N'l'w Zoala n,| i-.-ialniirn , " -hoiili 11..1 1..- f irth.-r p«.n»li»pj \vlnl<-\e-v ■'-:<■ r<aJ i-ainp ,n froc isi i:i>i-:v UN Tin-: WRnxn <!i'Ui.nKi;<. Mr. Xli - said t.;? β-hulf troublp was th.it tlii-y wpri- killing the Now Z-aland iiiilii-ir\ t.. mako r.... m for Australian ■■0.11. At prrscnt e-t-amprs took nut timlipr Xi Australia. \\ h.-n- th.-r- »■»< a duty ip to i' pi-r liki fpet on a tmib.-r t'.-'v i--ulft not pro.ln,-.• in Au-tr.ilia. Tin l f.inio -t.-a-n.-r liroupht h.u-k ..ml at .1 i..\ f'Puht frpp of duty to N.mv Zea land. "llip h.-t haroniptpr to show thp Sn.inrin' position of any pompany." add-il Mr. Kllis. "is tlip St<«-k Exrhanpp. Hi. , Taupiri 1 oal Cnnipatiy'e sharps ar.I Inlpd ::: 2~> ;..-r .-.-nt Ih-low tllP paid up . ipital v.11• 1.•: The Northern Cfial 'Ml \»r wnt !.Pio\v Piipital. All tin- othrr ■ ...1 -'in:-.-- ..-.- not .p.iotpd. for thp r.-a -on tiirr" ar- no .iv.-rs nor nnv ilivi !..n U. i<,in on- -\r.-;.iioii—thr \Vi"'»tport ' ... I'or PMimplp. thp Hon. W. I). Mar Donald <t.u,v| in Parlinmpiit that thp MM. ( oil Miinw had l.*t irU.I.V) in IPU. t"'ip thirl sucopstiivp ypar in whjrli 1 1..- hns |v-.-n r-.ord.-d. Ho al*o j-t.it.■! th.it Il>- lipnptit of t!io <t.it- Coal I Mir..* *.. N.-.v /'.(-aland was in finitely jrr-.urr than thr loss ~f C14.1.V). If coal pnmpany has _-ot !,, pompptp asninst t!'f Star", w>ll.ll naki's hpavy los-ps at th- ta\:.;i_\-r-.' exppiisp. and allow, im port-d coal to pomp in frpp. a numhpr of thp coal Tin-, will lip compelled to uo ] into li-i>ii latior. i.r plosp down. If tlie 1 \vr.-'ai:i-s i-loxp.l down thpir ininPii it would mc 111 a 10-s i n ri'vrnn- to thr I N>w Zealand Covprnnipnt of £2r,T.iO in tin , \:i.<linl provim-P alnnf. to say no i>: tii- \ast niinilii'r of men \vl,., n.iuld I-. , thronn out of rmp!oym-nt. Kv-ry patriot rpalisps that pxtra taxation is nr-.v-arv. hut it should Im> [.la - ■ .... th- sln.iildpra of those making :i i.i-t ...mount uf i-xtra |>ro!itH. brought :\ mm :.\ th- war. and not put as an oxtr.i I. :rd"n o M an industry alrnadv •tr :jj 'll./. sil-h as thp NpR Z-ala.ui ( .-a! Vliiips. It appears inpvitablp. tin li.-r iMi-ii run.litioii*. that mo-t of thp 1., al compaiiiPh will have to follow thr -am iirsi' as that of th- Papsron Coal Mil 1 n.' I nmpanr. which 011 th- 17th inst. '.-.•1.. ! tliat it pould not pontinup hu*i- .,.-- |.y ip.isou of its liabilities, and was .i.iiui.f n;i voluntarily. It is 11 siii.-i.lal [loliry to cripple an industry on which tli..ii>.in.> of iiiPii and tlirir faniili-fi an- ,!-; lins for a livelihood." IUIIVKN TO FOREHJX .MARKFTTS. \'r. A) -kin said that if ther- was no rtipn«itir>u on importcl coal it would -imply nii'Uli an incrpas*-! d-man.l for \.■-.-.,■'iHti >.il. Thp llaihvay Dppart ii .-lit largely n*Pil Ncwciu-tl- coal, and the imposition of an import tas would iiii-an an additional expenditure for that llepnrtniellt. lillt fnp Department would ..- at!'- ted iiv thp derrpasp in the output from New A-alan.l milip*. As the local -onijiaiiies lost trade tin , railway- would lose r.-vi-i I'or in-tancr. at jiresent his -ompnny B.ipplip.l a numher of firms -. 11:1 Waikalo coal, which was mixed '■.lid >.p-.vcnftlr. c.al. If there whs no .Mii ■■.: t tax imposed it meant that he rti-.ii i hi- trade with those firms. Mr Waite- Yon think they would pirnp'i ii-- \-un-tle coal? 'Mr. Ai-wii: I think so. It i= what pi;-- 1 'iit t!.- |. ir. haser has in mind, lip 1...- not -top io .-onsidcr the pneourapp-:i--n; ..-' !■ 1 industry when he him his ■•■ ii iitil" t-ii ; rr cent, to make up. Mi l:.ii . 01 see. Newcastle coal 'ii ■ fi-. : .t.| to Auckland as cheaply ■1- In 1 .in ....il from llun.ly. Mi \\ ai ■ An I -..Id us -iipflply? Mr l!.il|. ■■ \> -. 1'...H-,| dow'll. the ■• ..!- truiii '- .« t -,ii| we ohjei-t to the V.-a /.-a h.nl in-lu-in i..-in_' penalised v. nil- '*■■• i-ti- ru.il ~.-,,.- ,n without . a ii* iiiip>i-ii.uii ;il all. Mr KM- We do ~..■ ohje. 1 v,, the Ifl jper cnt -■■ in I- 1 ;,> t:.e way th- hieiil .industry 1- Ireatcl ~, rnniparisini to Mr" l!.'!;'h: It .i-iiply mean* drhinp the coal trade il.to f ~"1 niarkcls. Mr. Centh-. in puppnii inj tin- remarke of previous -|..-,ikcr-. point'-.I nut how his comp; 'iv "ii- further handicapped, ! inasmuch aii frci-hts on the \Vhau K arei ise.-ti' ■ ■.V-γ-- something like 17 per . .-nt. 'higher than on tlim-ie hetweeii Aiiekhiml land the Waikato. J Mr. Waile indicated that lie wi.-il.l I place thp repreaentatioiw of tlie speakers I before the (ieneral Manager of Hailwaxs i immediately on his return to Welling ton -