STATE COAL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16118, 24 January 1918, Page 6

STATE COAL.

9 REASONS FOR PRESENT SHORTAGE. EXPLANATION BY MINISTER OF MINES. Tho present shortage of coal in tho State depots was brought under tho notice of the 'Minister of Mines (Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) during his presence in' Christchureh yesteruay. "Unfortunately," he said, "we liavo got a greater demand for State ccal tiian wo can supply, but the chief difficulty is tho fact tnat the Railway Department and ships required l'or emergency purposes nave lirst call on tho btale coal-mines. Tho Minister pointed out that New Zealand did not ;nouuee sufficient eoal for nor oivu requirements, and in ordinal some tiling like 40U,t)0'J toils were imported. \Vnile we iiad been ablo to secure coal from Australia ana otiier places, wo had not been able to secure our fuli requirements, especially during tlio strike in Australia. Thac was uie real reason for the difficulties that liad arisen. "AYo realise tho difficulties aro severe upon the consumers, but when we get a requisition from tho Railway Department to supply it with so many taousands of tons wo have to supply it. Wc liavo tried to maintain our depots with a supply, but we have had several misfortunes," said Mr Mac Donald, who pointed out thatonly recently a landslip at one of the State mines had destroyed the bins, and until they were rc-erocted no screenod coal could .be supplied. In the meantime it was hoped to put the unscreened coal on tho trucks, and double time had been worked at the. other Stato mine, the Liverpool, in order to try to maintain the output. There wore somo wrono- impressions in existence regarding coal. It had been alleged that the State mines had delivered coal to • gas companies in preference to the public, but everyone who understood coal must 'know that gas coal could only be used for gas purposes, so that 110 ono had been deprived of coal bv the selling of it to tlio gas companies.