COAL SUPPLIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 171, 22 July 1941, Page 4

COAL SUPPLIES

BLENDING PROPOSED CHANGE OVER IX PLANT "The easiest way would be to bring some of the single miners up from Stockton to get out more Waikato j coal," declared Mr. H. T. Goldie at the Auckland Electric Power Board meeting yesterday afternoon when referring to a report received from the Dominion analyst as to laboratory tests on the proposed blending of Stockton and Waikato coals for use at the King's wharf plant. It was pointed out ny Mr. S. Irwin Crookes that the furnaces had been designed for the use of Waikato coal, which was available, so to speak, at the back door of the city. To bring supplies from Stockton would be costly, and the alterations required to burn blended coal would result in the scrapping of the plant. "Are wc too weak to deal with the position?" asked Mr. ,T. Park in asserting that the whole proposal simply arose because of the fact that the manpower at the Waikato mines could not be managed. The bringing of miners from the south would also be a costly matter. In explaining the difficulties, the general manager, Mr. R. 11. Bart ley. said that the furnaces at the King's wharf plant were designed to burn semi-lignite coal, as was mined in the Waikato, and these operated satisfac- | torily. Should changes be cfTected I there was no guarantee that the j plant would be operated for any I length of time, for at the conclusion I of the war the development of hydro- ! electric schemes would be proceeded I with. The expenditure would not | justify the change over. | The genera] manager's report on the coal position indicated that reserves stood at 20,569 tons, exclusive of 5000 tons received from Newcastle. During the week 5:512 tons arrived from Southland and the consumption for the weekly period was 2321 tons.