PROTECTION FOR N.Z. COAL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22306, 21 January 1938, Page 10

PROTECTION FOR N.Z. COAL

♦ Owner Complains Of Rising Costs IMPORTS SAID TO BE TOO GREAT (fbess association telegram.) WELLINGTON, January 20. Dealing with the importation qf coal into New Zealand, Mr C. C. Davis, president of the Coal Mine Owners' Association, at the annual meeting of the association, emphasised that too much coal was imported. There had been no diminution over the last five or six years, he said. In fact, the 1936 figures were the highest for five years--111,078 tons. With the coal resources New Zealand possessed, it was entirely wrong that even this quantity should find its way to New Zealand markets from overseas, he said. With the higher wages, shorter hours, and costly conditions the industry had to bear in this country, some measure of protection should be provided to enable this considerable tonnage to be provided from New Zealand's own mines. The little extra distance from Newcastle afforded no protection, for transport costs from the West Coast to, say, Auckland, were just as high, or Referring to improved trading conditions in 1937, some of which were reflected in the coal industry, Mr Davis said that unfortunately the ever-mounting cost of mining, and, to an almost equal extent, the cost of transport necessitated higher prices for coal, and for this reason much of the benefit of returning prosperity found its way to competitive sources of heat and power, rather than the coal industry. The existing mines in New Zealand were fully equipped and capable of supplying New Zealand s full requirements, and it was therefore very obvious that the opening of any further mines was unnecessary and would only add to the difficulties of the existing companies, without affording benefit to anyone. Miners were now earning good wages, he added, and when the time came for a renewal of their agreement it was hoped that the miners organisation would recognise the impossibility of loading further costs on to the owners, which would only ieopardise the industry that found ihem employment.