COAL SUPPLIES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19668, 11 July 1929, Page 8

COAL SUPPLIES.

NO CAUSE FOR WORRY. PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT IMPROVING. Unless very special circumstances arise, there seems to be no need for any alarm over the coal shortage, which has now been fairly acute for several weeks. To put the matter briefly, both the work in the West Coast mines and the transportation between mine and ship have been greatly upset by the earthquake, but production in the mines is reaching normal again, and the railwavs are getting more coal through eve'rv dav. The situation is being well met "in a*il ways. At present the railway's part in transporting the coal is the weakest link in the chain Coal is collecting at the mine bins through the inability to get it through at a fast enough speed. This is due to the fact that with the lines in a damaged condition, smaller engines, with consequently smaller haulage power, are the only locomotives which in the meantime can be used. In regard to shipments of coal, the first 6f a 500-ton lot of African coal, procured in Dunedin, began to arrive yesterday. Greymouth coal is coming through the tunnel in increasing quantities, and a shipment from Westport is expected in Christchurch next week. All Westport coal reaches Christchurch by sea, and it is for the reasons mentioned above that this particular coal has reached here only in small quantities. With the mines resuming and the Railway Department meeting the situation as far as it is able, no serious shortage need at present be feared.