CHANGE BY TASMAN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 24

CHANGE BY TASMAN

“Oil May Cost £200,000 Year” (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 17. “Any suggestion of substantial coal-tisers changing to oil fuel which could cost £200,000 a year or more is unthinkable today in the light of the country’s bal-ance-of-payments situation." said the . president of the United Mine-workers' Union (Mr A. V. Prendiville) today

He was referring to a Press Association message which reported that recent increases in railway freight charges on coal might force the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company to change over from coal to oil fuel. This would mean the potential loss of sales of 60.000 tons a year to coal producers, said Mr Prendiville. “No matter what justification there may have been for altering railway tariffs, there is absolutely no case for an with substantia’ Government capital changing from indigenous fuel to imroerted oil fuel.” he said “New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world which allows duty-free oil imports to compete with coal, and the mine-workers are justified in asking if there is a deliberate policy in existence to embarrass the industry ” Mr Prendiville said his union had made repeated representations to the various Ministers of Mines over the years requesting them to put coal on a more favourable competitive basis by placing a duty on fuel oil. The union had also asked the Government to ensure that before any overseas funds were made available to a firm for it to obtain oil, the firm must make clear the absolute necessity for it to change from coal to oil