Chch could run out of coal

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 1

Chch could run out of coal

Prom Our Own Reporter)

GREYMOUTH, April 22. Christchurch could be out of coal by the end of next month if stocks continued to decline at the present rate, a conference in Greymouth of the South Island Coal Merchants’ Federation was told today by Mr E. H. Lange, of Christchurch, its retiring president.

The new president (Mr K. Sullivan, of Dunedin) confirmed this, attributing the problem to the shortage of railway waggons. Mr Lange said this shortage should not be tolerated anv longer. “The Government is asking for more coal to be used, yet we are having great difficulty in getting the coal moved by the Railways Department, and areas which rely solely

on this means of transport! are being crucified. “The departmental headsi do not appear to be greatly interested in our problems,”’ Mr Lange said. When there were steam engines, most of the coal consigned from Reefton and' Greymouth took between twol and three days to arrive in Christchurch. “Today, with the bigger; diesel engines, which we were' told would improve delivery; time, we are very lucky to) get coal within four days of: consignment. More often it isj

five or six days, and some; waggons have taken six to eight weeks to come to hand.” If coal was as important; as the Government said it was, waggons should be -made available, said Mr ! Lange.