THE EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12963, 16 November 1907, Page 9

THE EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND.

A LOCAL OPINION. f^^J Judging from tho" remark* jMJi^** I .'' - ! a "Proae" representative by Mr TtMMttT.<.'* Brown—one of the large*! impwt*ff ar. 7 '-' f '| NewoastJe coal in Nw Zeahnd noodt be no serious «pprew»iieiti<Wi the part of tho public aa to the «ff«c* Cj)s of tho , strike on the ■Nβ* Zeeknd VIS market. Mr.Brown hw m*w tripe to Newcastle end Q9*W*g**Mi?A the present year, *nd Hμ possibilities of a etrik* »t clow ,qi»»r* :;$ tew. -. - -"' >' ?& "-the strike," remarked Mr Brtnrtt,,£& "was not unexpected. There a phenomenal demand for N*wje*WCT coal during .the pa*t el* xaotttMf'fuQ* an*! when "I left there ft few jr*to*MQ}fM thpro wore twenty steamer* •»» 4 5j22!& i gM sailing vessels waiting to. bo Last July I happened to be tr»vrt]&Bi#| in. tho train front Newceutle.' rey, when I had for fellow pMM&aM&g five of the largest oolliery-oWnelf!. Ie r* the Newcastle and Miittad These 'gentlemen, by the ,***# prominently connootctt'vrith $i* l imat>|js!js abused 'vend.' In- my opi&ion/r'!wr«*g-a ever, if that 'rend , had not beett'*il|',>&| existence, there would probably* been' it general in months ago. The opinion* «»yraw*#:flig during my three afl'a half ■•hoerf&M? journey in the train showed was Tory little likelihood, of ment on the part of either WJM£lj£jfefl or the men until some had taken placu in tho existing Jgtate-'Or of affairs. The position i» this: a year ago a mutual amngemcnt,,tJuti f ->;s| Iβ a ton advance bo made Oft r the,;f.o.b. price was agreed to. The'bmnnfW were to get 4d a ton and other labour 2d a ton of that adranoe—leaving ,04 *i ; p per ton-for tho owners. Xow. ; over, tho men have completely away from that agreement, »itd manding 8d )kt ton and other 4d. Naturally tho owners »bsoltrtelyj*-i| rofueo to pay these rates, as it wxMlld y&j mean raising the price f.o.b. still other Iβ a ton, and this would a. higher retail rate. ' . ' ',^''.^/i;f|j "As regerde tho present inppliet'*«f?*4\* coal in New Zealand, the Dominion $*«•■'* fnr better treated than the St*te* «f l'£t tho Commonwealth, «s tfie ownere,'recognising that New Zeaiuid, ha*' its vt own largo jnines to compete with, Xewcaetie product, arocatering for lier - trade. I recently visited tho North. '£}. Island, and found that etocks generally largo there. Most of "th» v Auckland merchants have realieed,' for ;\\"f some timospoet the likelihood of •' y'. strike in. Newcastle, and have, in «m«,i^' S sequenct , , laid in additional supplies. V-' But, apart from this, there »re .the '' ' local mines to supply the market, ton- ' ' the northern centre if not ''■• dependent on oiitfido supplies. -Gisl»rno and Napier are also well eupplied, .and can hold out for another ~.\> two or three months. Jn Wellington l * there- is no shortage, and the publio would not be inconvenienced if no fnr- " !k ther importations came forward *till '; tho end of tho 3'oir.' Aβ regard* ; Ciiristchurch. you have elroady had the opinions of the. large local imnortetw to i snow that there is no causo for alarm. ', Timaru end Oormru will not be hgrd« pressed for coal until tho threshing *; season storte in January or Febriury, '\ as considerable stocks are held in both, ' those places. Dunodin. with the .ex*' '■■ ception of tho gnsworke*, dot* uot-#n- , ' tirely rely upon outeide cool, the r ]«eiilj.-ii mince Bupplvin«; the household traded V^"l do not think the strike will lest ,T as tho owners have tho sympathy of the public. At, tho present time some of the beet men ore- 1 earning ,' practically £1 & day, if they re- ' ceivefl an additional hewing mto of 4d a ton. they would make about 225." By wov of showing that there vtt a Rood supply of Newcastle coal in the ~ ,- Dominion, Mr Brown mentioned tlwt ■" he has imported some 20,000 ton* of the product since June, «nd bo is oaiy ' <. ono of tho several Jarjp ioporton ut'- p ";,

y e w Zealand. Ho eaid the railways are also well supplied with the coil.