COAL SAVED BY USING OIL

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25589, 2 September 1948, Page 3

COAL SAVED BY USING OIL

EFFECT ON RAILWAY FINANCE EXPLANATION BY MR SEMPLE (P.A.) » WELLINGTON, Sept. 1. Deficits on railway operations in the last few years would not have arisen were it not for the high cost of imported coal and oil fuel, said the Minister of Railways (Mr R. Semple), in the House of Representatives this evening. The department had been importing coal at £lO a ton, thereby subsidising other coal users, who paid only £3 a ton. Mr Semple said that if there had been sufficient New Zealand, or even Newcastle, coal available for the railways, there would have been no losses. Some overseas coal had not proved superior to New Zealand coal. There would have been no thought of converting locomotives to oil burners had New Zealand or Newcastle coal been available. Thirty-five engines had been converted to oilburners and it was proposed to convert another 60 or 70. Conversion had already Saved 37,000 tons of coal, and it was estimated that the saving next year would be 180,000 tons. As soon as power was available in the North Island, the Auckland-Frank-ton Junction line vrould be electrified, as well as the Paekakariki-Palmer-ston North line. The estimated saving of coal there would be 118.000 tons a year. In his opinion, electrification of the Main Trunk line would have to be completed to protect the railways against coal shortages and to save the high costs of overseas importations, said Mr Semple. He did. not think New Zealand would get any more coal from Newcastle.