A COAL FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 190, 6 May 1908, Page 7

A COAL FAMINE.

FOUR REASONS; STATE RAILWAYS BEHINDHAND. NEWCASTLE BEST' FORcGAS;C . (BY TELEGIUHI. —STECIiX 'CORRESPONDENT.) Auckland, May 5. Up to the end'.of Marc'a, 1907, the, itaportation of Nowcasitlo ooal 'into tlio Dominion for tho preceding twelvemonths ,was . 74,060 tons. During tlio next,(twelve months;—that is, up to tho end of March of the present year—tho importation increased to 91,630 tons, aud this does not represent tlio total importation, because soiiib of our vessels ooal at Newcastle for use on tho incoming trip. Inquiries wero. made at tho local offices of several of the coal companies by 1 -a' " Herald " reporter to-day to ascortain why such a largo quantity of Nq\TCastlo;,ccal.;is. imported when New Zealand is so-ricli' in coal mines of her own. .>• Various causes were assigned in different directions, and naiurally there was'some difference of opinion displayed on the question, but tho general idea gathered;,wasi.that.tlie importation' is largely duo to -four 'reasons, which may be briefly stated as follow:—;';V ... (1) An increased local demand. ■ ' (2) The excellenco of Newcastle coal ..: . .' . for gas manufacture. (3) Shortago of railway trucks. -;.... (4) Scarcity of labour. • 'AwWith regard to' the first, the demand- for* coal has increased right through New' Zealand, and seems likely to -cgntinue. DEPENDENT ON IMPORTS. Tho Northern Coal Company, for' instance, havo in the past been able to send coal to Gisborne, but now, in .consequence 'of'Hhe. large local demand, they 'are unable to do so. Gisborne is therefore now; dependent entirely on oversea ooal. "It'must also'"be remembered that Gisborne' and ' Napier are' somewhat isolated places, and fold it almost as cheap to get'Newcastle'coal as the local article. As to the excellence of tho Newcastle article as a gas c0a1,.-itjii'iiot hctt-e'r than Westport—which,' it "should''be mentioned, is tho only gas coal obtained in New Zealand—but Newcastle is very, rich'in what nro called " by-products," such as coke and tar, and is consequently a very profitable coal for gas companies ou,this account.'.;;Thij experience is that a blend of Westportand Newcastle gives the best results-. for-illumi-' nating purposes. . SHORTAGE OF^XRjUGKS.'; ' : > There" are many complaints abdut" 1 the shortago of trucks, and in "this'-'connection it will be remembered that 'a large "deputation waited on tho Primo Minister l during l his recent stay in Auckland' to ''urge that' -the Government should ; place ' more trucks at tho disposal of tho Coah Companies. Sir Joseph Ward could not see his way to grant tho request. • The manager of, tho Northern Coal Company told a representative that at the Company's Whangarei min'o".the whole of Monday's output, was taken up by ■midday, and that three vessels, two of them belonging to' the Company,. which arrived a little late owing to adverse • weather/'.'could-, not be loaded because thero werfe no avail- • cmp'ty. trucks toJoad, them .with.- Tho mine lias only cmpiy trucks sufficient for ono day's output;- and if'.steamers', arrive late, they j cannot bo loaded- straight'.! Yesterday's delay meant a shortago of 150 tons for the local market. "We . cannot handlo the demand hero,'VisaidJthe sinana-' ' ger, "becauso we are hampered by want".of ; railway plant." . ■ ——----- :■ ■ ■■ LABOUR SCARCE—BACK FREICHTS. . It appears that there'is practically a coal famine in-Auckland at tho present time;. , and it is impossible to fill,, the, orders; ,in, j hand; consequently, an^ u jielay..in l ,forward-., . ing means an additional, shortago. > It is stated that,-in drder^to' satisfy tho. . demand, a largo quantity of Newcastle coal is sent over "on spec.," _.and is held .to. fill the gap when the local'cbaFruns-Short; as ' not infrequently happens. This would account fpr a portion of tlio importation. The scarcity of labour is; another - important fea- : son. ,It' is very hard'^to l obtiiiir ;-. requisite labour to run the-mines:-™''""' ' ' Some Newcastle coal is brought in by vessels taking timber over to Sydney ; they get freight in Newcastle. coal, and thoy can: freight it for • less money to/places liko Gisbomo than local coal caii be freighted from, .say, Whangarei to Auckland. It is further pointed cut that the- Government , dees nothing to protect the local coal, trade. Coal comes in free of duty from Australia, tlie only exception mad^V. being .that;'it.;is liable to :an ; export '• clltji'ga ivheri ""'it. is shipped oii tho GovernmMt rdiKvay£ f, '~" '