COAL FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 5

COAL FAMINE.

THE NEWCASTLE STRIKE. OWNERS' CONDITIONS. PROSPECTS OF CONFERENCE. RISING PRICES. '■.;. INTERFERENCE WITH INDUSTrI. BY TELEGRAPH— PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPIMGHT, Sydney, November 15. Tho colliery proprietors ''decline to give any information regarding- yesterday's meeting. It ia understood that they decided to confer with the miners, and to submit to' tho adjudication of an impartial tribunal on the following conditions:— , - (1) That the miners return to worh and agres to give fourteen days' notic« • If It Is subsequently decided to strike. : (a) That before any Impartial tribunal adjudicates on the dispute the Miners' Federation must put up a substantial bond as a guarantee that the miners, will agree to tho decision given.' Tho Chairman of tno Proprietors' Association will interview tho Premier, Mr;Wado, to-day. The ■ minors will also interview him. The Lambton pit has ceased work. i Tho effects of the strike are commencing to bo felt in Sydney in earnest. The'price of best coal (delivered) has advanced to, £2 a ton; small is at 30s. Tho firewood also shows a strong.advance. , A number of steam colliers aro laid up. Arrangements have been made to curtail the ferry services. . ' . Amongst largo industries threatened with dtoppago if tho strike continues aro breweries. ' ' • ..

Shortago of coal threatens to ondangoi the water supply of the higher levels of city and suburbs. v ■ ' ■''"■". The Labour Council has adopted a resolution urging the Government to acquiro the miue3 and supply all Stato requirements. Thore are nearly seventy vessels in Neweastlo Harbour waiting to coal. EFFECTS IN OTHER STATES. HIGHER FREIGHTS. PRACTICAL SYMPATHY IN THE WEST. ' ; ; STEAMERS LAYING-UP. .',' Melbourne, November IC. The prico of screened Newcastle coal is 355. por ton, with little "inclination to sell. A further advance is expected. Local coal has advanced by 10s. : . Intor-Stato shipping companies have advanced freights by 10 por cent, all round— half a crown per ton to Sydnoy and Adelaide and> ss. to Brisbane and Fromaritle; ■ .. Arrangements aro in progress for — the laying-up of a /number of inter-State ■ steamers.

'''Adelaide, Novombor .15. The shortage of coal is , already felti.Prices havb made a big'jump. : ' : .':'... Psrthy November 15. Tho Timber Workers' Union voted £50 to tho Newcastle minors. .. Thu shipping companies have raised fare.' and freights-. , THE LATESTi MATTERS IN ABEYANCE* (Rec. Nov. IC, 1.32 a.m.) Sydnoy, November .15. ' Tho result of the cbal-bwners and the miners' representations and interviews with the l'romier to-day arc kept secret, bnt it is stated that everything is in abeyance til! Monday. - The West Australian Timber Workers' Union, which has voted Hie striking'miners .£SO. was itself materially aided by trade union tione from the eastern States during its late protracted trouble with the employers. ' NEW ZEALAND'S RESOURCES.: STATE'MINES. It is probahlo ■ that the Stato Coal Mines Department might bo able to increase its output considerably, in tho absence of the usual importations of coal, pror vided more workers wore obtainable and better snipping facilities. existed at. Greymouth. The output of tho Point Elizabeth State colliery for. 19C6 was 1G3.800 tons, which yearly production, it is thought, might be increased to 200,000 tons were the domand . sufficient. But, as this is -the natural slack season for minors, and tho duration of the Newcastle strike is a matter of complete uncertainty, tho opinion is expressed that difficulty would be found in engaging more men. Owing to harbour difficulties and inadequate wharfage,' moreover, it is not easy to ship large quantities with expedition from Grcymouth. The Point Elizabeth Stato Mine produced on Thursday its record day's output of 1200 tons. The daily average is about a thousand tons.

NEARLY TWO' HUNDRED COAL , . . WORKINGS. , ■■■■■-. It is probable that several mines in Auckland, Westland, And. Otago could , increase their output in answer to an increased demand, provided workers were forthcoming. Now Zealand's coal resources, it is-said' on. good authority, are only being played with nt present, in tho absence of markets.. ,'J.he Inspector of Coal Minos' report enumerates about 180 coal mines in tho Dominion) .the total outputs for 100G being as follows:— '' Tons. Coal ... ■ 1,452,489 Slack ... ... - ... 277,047 : ; Total ... ... 1,729,536 ' • GASWORKS NOT Ai'TECTED. Mr. D. J. Nathan, chairman of directors of tho Wellington Gas Company, informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that tho quantity of Noweastlo coal used at tho gasworks was only about a tenth of tho wholo, 59 that the Company's operations would not be soriously affected by tho strike There was a contract in existence with the Wcstport Coal Company to supply so many tons of coal per week. Ho did not anticipate that tha operations of the Company would bo interfered with in any degree by the trouble At Newcastle. NO INCREASE IN INTER-COLONIAL : RATES. UNION COMPANY'S ARRANGEMENTS. (bT ffELEGIUPIt—PIIESS ASSOCIATION.) . Dunodin, November 15. Tho " Star" says that ns tho West. Coast will becomo tho centre of demand for bunkor coal during tho strike in Australia, au increase iu tho cost of Jionland stoanv coal is inevitable. Meanwhile, freights. or passangors fares will not bo .increased on intercolonial steamers, though a protracted strike would'render that course inevitable In the Australian coastal trado already tho companies havo raised passenger faros by 10 por'ebnt., nnd froight by. 25 por cont. In tho Tasmariian-Australiari trado tho Union company will keop the most important passenger services going, though possibly the

number of sailings will bo reduced. Tho Karitano, which was ongaged in tho coalcarrying trade between Newcastle and Tasmania, will be brought to New Zealand. The Mararoa was"to have been placed in tho Sydriey-Hobart trado next week, but tho decision has been cancelled till tho trouble is over. . .-...■ ORDERS REFUSED. Auckland, November 15. . ' . . ■ Tho manager of tho Kiripaka Coal Company, whose mino is at Kiripaka, near Whangarpi, states that he has' received several cablos from Australia for coal supplies at advanced prices. Ho could havo made a contract for 4000 tons in one lino, but declined, as that would involve neglect of local customers. He mentioned that Union Company's steamers had been supplied with Kiripaka coal for tho last two years on the voyages from Auckland to Australia and tho . Islands. . • QUOTATIONS CANCELLED. Napier, November 15. As a result of the miners' strike in New South Wales, a large cbnsunier to-day received advico' that : all previous quotations had been cancelled. ; ■ ' ' CHRISTCHURCH SUPPLIES. Dunedin, November 15. In view, of the Australian coal difficulty/ , Ihe Kaitangata Company, is sending supplies ■to Christchurch.- ■.;-■: ,■ ,• ■ ■-..'/' ■ V , lOREIGN TRADE. Mr. S. Brown, who was questioned through the telephone-'concerning the Newcastle coal ', 'Strike, states that his views were misunderstood by our representative. Tho Japanese coal trado, which ho referred to, was to San 'Francisco, not to Sydney. Ho considers that ithe strike was more likely to interfere with ithe foreign trade from New South Wales, as }it would stimulate the output of coals from jsiich places as Japan, China, an.d,lndia, inhere, thongh the coal'might not bo so good, I they ahd enormous areas, one' known field Hn one'of the China provinces being over !;400 miles sqiiaro. Some mines hayo seams -. hvith thickness up to 100 feet. As to labour, •> a representative of an English company re'.cently told him that in India they paid ;ior gold :nining 6d. per day for men and. j4id. for women. ■ ■