COAL PORT AT LYTTELTON

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24610, 5 July 1945, Page 3

COAL PORT AT LYTTELTON

* HANDLING WEST COAST SUPPLIES HARBOUR BOARD TO CALL CONFERENCE More use of Lyttelton as a port from which West Coast ccal could be shipped to' the North Island was suggested as of national value at yesterday’s meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, which approved of the suggestion of the chairman (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon) that a conference should be held among the board, the Railways Department, and the Coal Controller. Mr MacGibbon said the conference should produce good results. Recalling that early in June he had challenged a statement by the Minis- ’ ter of Works (the Hon. R. Semple) to the effect that Lyttelton had not facilities to handle com, Mr Mac Gibbon said he did not consider that any good purpose would be served by prolonging that discussion. “But I am of opinion that some time must elapse before Greymouth and Westport will be ‘allweather* ports. That being so, I feel that this board should make an offer to the Government to do all in its power to assist in the transportation of coal, and thus relieve to some extent the serious position which has developed in the North Island, I realise full well that there are difficulties, to be overcome in regard to railing coal to Lyttelton: but at the same time I feel that more use could be made of Lyttelton as a coal port” _ .. Many trucks of coal on the West Coast could,not be shipped and ships were bar-bound, said Mir Mac Gibbon. A little extra cost might be involved in railing the coal through the tunnel to Lyttelton, where further equipment would be necessary. This was a national emergency, with -the - North Island crying out for coal, industries closing down partially in many - cases, and the ordinary public suffering through. not having gas. for domestic. purposes. If necessary the'Governmsnt should provide the equipment for the rapid handling of ctial from the trucks into the ships. Mr F. E. Sutton, supporting the pro*, posal, said the cost would be a lime extra; but the public was Prepared to pay a little tnore for coal if it could get it The coal could be handled at Lyttelton, but perhaps not so quickly as at the coal ports, ... • ■ - - • .. Mr R. T. McMillan said he would rather deplore the use of trucks when farmers were experiencing difficulty In getting transport for their ptbduce, • Mr R. Browning: The coal trade uses an entirely different type of truck, ~ “What about making, mobile , the trucks stagnant with coal on the West Coast?” suggested Mr Mac Gibbon. : The difficulty, Mr J. K. McAlpine said, was that the hopper trucks used on the West Coast were not fitted with . Westinghouse brakes and ,therefore ' could not be used extensively on the long run to Canterbury. All the coal was brought in Rb, L, and La waggons, which were alsoused for transporting grain and fanners’ produce. If the - trucks were used for coal, the effect would be detrimental to the handlings of between 20,000 and 25,000 tons of., farmers* produce weekly. ; Mr R. E. Cairns said they were not so greatly concerned with coal fpr m- * dustries as with gas coal. To handle the hoppers, a 12-ton crane would be needed With the present facilities at the port, it took five days to dump the coal, which was picked -Up by, the transporter grab in one day. To bring the coal hoppers from the West Coast was not practicable at present. The,; board’s present equipment could handier 30 tons an hour for each grab, of which five could be used on tiie bigger V6 Mr W. B Laing said rolling Stock had been short for a considerable time. To provide the equipment wouhL-take f l2 months. He suggested that .the shipping Companies could build more suitable ships for bar harbours, baying wider beams and shallower, draughts. • The improvisation.'of equipment, was urged by r Mr,jH.-Holdernesß. : '- “We are not trying, to beat the West Coast, but trying to\ help , the Dominion.” said Mr .Sutton, on whose motion the board decided that the chairman should convene the conference.