QUESTION OF CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 167, 15 July 1919, Page 10

QUESTION OF CONTROL.

•MXNISTER'S POWERS LIMITED. DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, this day. The Hon. A. M. Myers, replying to the appeal made by Mr. J. A. Young, M.P., asking for his intervention to improve "railway communication to prevent disastrous results to dairying, says: "Your two telegrams received. I fully recognise the gravity of the position, but desire to point out that my responsibilities are confined to securing the importation of coal into New Zealand, and distribution of the same, together with the New Zealand output, to the .best interests of the country generally. In the former connection I would like to point out that the importations for six months ended June 30 last were 182,242 tons, against 132,000 for the same period of last year, which shows an increase of about 50,000 tons, this notwithstanding the influenza epidemic and the strike in Australia. The (combined output and importation in 191S : fell short of the 1914 figures by about 750,000 tons, and this position is further aggravated by a decrease of about 126,000 tons output from New Zealand j mines for the six months ended June 30 jlast, as compared with the same period last year. "I am fully seized with the seriousness of the position, and am doing everything possible to make available for railways and other essential industries as much coal as possible. I fully recognise further the importance of dairying industries, and notwithstanding tlie shortage of coal available, as above indicated, 1 have so far been able to supply this and other essential industries with sufficient I coal for their requirements. In view of the above I cannot understand why, considering the circumstances, I have been blamed, as you state, for the present position which has unfortunately arisen, as everything possible has been'done to obtain coal overseas even at excessive rates. My Department's main object is jto make available every possible ton of icoal procurable. I am conveying to the Minister of Railways the contents of your telegram."