CONDITION OF GREY BAR

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 6

CONDITION OF GREY BAR

SHIPPING COMPANY’S BAN NOT LIFTED COAL TAKEN BY RAIL TO WESTPORT (from Our Own Reporter) GRBYMOUTH, October 6. The depth on the Greymouth bar has improved slightly, but seas continue rough and the Union Steam Ship Company’s ban on the use ot the port remains in force. The Zephyr II entered the port to-day, but it would not have been possible for a larger ship to cross the bar, and the Konui, which was on its way to Greymouth, was sent to Westport to join the Kaiapoi. This morning the first of six trains took about 1100 tons of coal to Westport where it was to be loaded into the Konui for the Auckland gasworks The depth on the bar at Westport Is much the same as at Greymouth, but there is moye shelter there from westerly seas. Even so, the colliers will not be able to take full loads. The Stockton open-casf mine remains idle through the transport holdup, but the Blackball State mine, after losing five days’ production in the last fortnight, resumed work this morning The nearby Roa mine is still idle, but not because work was not available The men arrived at the mine as usual, but after a meeting returned alleging that there was no feed for the horses used in the mine. The Blackball and Roa mines, with less popular coal,, are always the first affected by stoppages, but unless the condition of the Greymouth bar improves soon other collieries may have to share the losses now affecting workers in the Blackball region. Greymouth waterside workers have had an exceptionally lean time over the last Six weeks, the only work that has been available being an occasional call for a handful of men for small vessels—the Melva. Puriri, Rata, and Zephyr II- —which - have paid irregular visits.