COAL FOR THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 174, 16 April 1908, Page 7

COAL FOR THE NAVY.

LETTER FROM THE ADMIRAL. V (BY TELEGRAM!.—I"RIiSS ASSOCIATION.) ' Auckland, April 15. Tho. Manno Department forwarded a cop> > of a letter received from the in regard to establishing ; a . depot . for the s storage ,of coal for use of tho navy at] Auckland..' rhe ,letter, states:— J-'. "I consider it to be certainly desirable that a''depotJ jvith-. modern appliances for rapid. coaling should bo established • at Auckland, 1 in wliich coal could bo ' stored at any-tiine of prospective need. -.. In peace times"the needs of the. navy. . at Auckland are not large, and the re- : ; serve,of 500 tons now.kept .by the West-. '. ' port Coal Company is sufficient to moot . ■ the current demands •' of. - singlo ships, : while.a collier can always bo ordered to .«•••■• t meotiiho.squadron,on.lts, visits to Now. ''''Zealand.' I Tfio danger'-'is- 1 - that if any /: ' 1 ' largo amount of. coal was stored there • would not be sufficient turnover te ensure its being, as good as under present , ' • conditions. 'At present the prico of coal for' H.M. ships at Auckland is higher . than at Wellington or Lyttelton,: and . . therefore lihips only coal .there when necessary. ; The, coaling appliances gerierally. in. Aiiiitralasia'are: much, behind; the v; ;V tunes, and Ifain ,6f rppinioii; thatVmodem , appliances would bo of great assistance . to tho rapid coaling of/mercantile steamers, and so mako for economy m thoir. working."

The letter was referred.to tho Hoard in committee:./ Mr. \V. J. Napior said it modern appliances'were' adopted the cost of handling coal could be lessened ss. per ton. it was the Board's duty to supply tho requisite modern machinery. ■ 11 ;