STATE COAL MINES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 9

STATE COAL MINES.

_ Sir,—On reading your article in this morning's paper on the above I .cannot help but think that the difference in the prices is to he accounted for by the fact that coal is always graded as screened, unscreened, nuts, and slack, .and that the prices vary accordingly. ,', •. Being a frequent' visitor to Greymoutby 1 Would venture to suggest that the 'greater portion of the coal supplied at 10s. 9d. is the slack coal, which is'practically the waste of the mines, as I have seen the steaihers loading hundreds _of tons for bunker use, and, no doubt, this would bring the average down considenbly.' On the other hand, it is well known that the railways use only screened coal, which is at least worth four times as much... Being a constant reader of your paper I have not failed to appreciate some of your criticisms, of the Government, but consider that your remarks on this subject are very misleading, is no details are given as to the various classes of coal supplied.—l am, etc., FAIR PLAY. Wellington, January.9. [Our correspondent has entirely missed the point of our criticisms, which, has been that tho.. State coal mines accounts are utterly misleading. He admits that, the coal-sup-plied to private consumers arid shipping companies is sold for 10s. 9d.- per ton. But Sir Joseph Ward has stated, and his friends have repeated,- that that coal is sold, at Is. 6d. per ton more than is..charged to.;the railways—that is to say, .at. 21s. 6d..;per ton. This is-a discrepancy that requires explanation, and explanation is all that '..we have asked for. . But the Government steadfastly refuses to give . any. satisfactory ■ explanation, at all.] •'•::■"-'.