COAL IMPORTATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 59, 10 March 1921, Page 8

COAL IMPORTATIONS.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—l noticed in Saturday night's issue where the Xew Zealand liiph Commissioner. Sir .lames Allen, signed a coal contract for 150,000 tons of coal to be delivered to New Zealand at a cost ol £4 10/ per ton, thereby a total coat of £«7.*),000. If the Government are allowed to squander the revenue of the country much Ifttiger we will find ourselves in a somewhat worse position than Austria. It may sound ridiculous and incredible to talk like this, but you must take into consideration the numerous private mine owners and small working companies, both in the North and South Island, who have almost prayed on their knees to our so-called Government for a few miles of railroad so that they may make a livinjr out of their own claims. To-day. the men who would produce coal enough to supply New Zealand's wants are compelled to join organisations such as tho Miners'! and Waterside Workers' I'nions, which have proved a curse to the country. In a number of cases the track has lieen ; actually made: all that was required was a few small bridges over creeks and tlie rails. The sleepers have been cut and stacked all aloncr the track and there left to rot. I know oi" quite a number of such eases in New Zealand. Take the Buller district, .vhcre another few miles of railroad would open up some of the richest mining country In the world. Hut no, toe so-called economical ('overnittent would rather pay £4 10/ per ton for coal, when they would purchase same delivered at any port of New Zealand at an outside cost of £1 per ton. The waste ion this Welsh purchase, which may ihe estimated conservatively at .OTo.OOf), 1 would make a tremendous hole in the 'cost of openinpr up the mining districts, |to £-ay nothing about what has been wasted in Newcastle and Japan on coal for this country. It is high time that the heads of the country paid some attention to the local mining and producing industry.—l am, etc.. LOCAL INDUSTRY.