DIRTY COAL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19918, 3 May 1930, Page 15

DIRTY COAL.

COMPLAINTS ABOUT ASH.

WARNING TO STATE MINERS.

So many -, serious complaints have been made lfftely to the" Superintendent of the Sta.te Mines (Mr I. A. James) about the high* ash, content of some of the, small coal applied to gasworks that he has issued a warning to the men that drastic - measures will have to be taken with miners found guilty of filling dirty coal. A letter forwarded to the secretary of the State- Miners' Union contains the following intimation::—l-shall be pleased if you will kindly let the 'minets know that unless the coal is filled in a clean and marketable condition, the management will hare no alternative but to dismiss- miners who insist on filling jdirty coal. For your information, I may state that ; for the week ending MarchSlstlasttheaslicontent of the 1 Liverpool small supplied to the Christchurch • Gas Company was : 14;10' p<w cent., which is out of all reason. Mr F: W. J. Beltoh, engineer to the Christchurch Gas Company,' said: Teaterdny that : it was only' occasionally that the ash content was as higfe as the percentage quoted; For the past four jrears nis company, had been i impressing. on its suppliers the importance .bf keeping the coal clean. • It was now using • all New- Zealaiid coat, expected satisfactory tcWiuateit in this, respfict. „ ,s<yi-c<H^ustibW"de-ments. auoh from* the roof, .founfl tfieir' wky into* the coal through' careless mhiihg. , "Occasionally. we h&ve.TtrpuMef' w»thother sources of supply.'- said. Belton. "The f»oaf at times hais ov6r the limit ofash 'allowed by tis/i It behoved tbe NeW; - Zealand coal companies and the State Department to satisfy tlieir customers, for Newcastle coal would not'be: off the market for ever. With ;the ceesa-. tion of Australian supnlies the mining, industry r in 1 'tR% , 'Domfhion had been given\ an opporainity, which < probably would, not. arise.,again,, of establishing i reputation tat selling a. reliable article. v ' v . Mr Belton said adequate.isnj>plie« of coal-were now offering from the New Zealand mines.