SHIPPING OF COAL

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 124, 19 February 1941, Page 9

SHIPPING OF COAL

Proposals For Quicker Handling

VIEWS OF COMMITTEE

Effort To Avoid Any Form Of Rationing

Proposals ior expediting the shipment and transport of coal have been submitted to the Government by a committee representative of those engaged in the handling of coal which met in Wellington this week. An outline of the committee’s recommendations for speeding up the loading and discharge of colliers was given by the Minister of Alines, Air. Webb, in an interview last evening. Recommendations of the committee were that other vessels should be used as much as possible for general cargo so as to release ships suitable for use as colliers, and that a census should be taken of all shipping to see what additional ships could oe put into the coal trade.

Reference was made by the Minister to the conference he had hedd last week with representatives of the power boards who urged an increase in coal supplies to enable the boards to function without having to revert to rationing of electricity. The Minister said he had given the conference an undertaking that every possible endeavour would be made to increase supplies' to meet the demands of power boards. Mr. Webb said that during the weekend he bad had a conference with members of the Coal Council . and stressed the seriousness of the situation. As a result of that conference it was deemed advisable to convene a conference representative of all engaged in the handling of coal. • This conference was held on Monday morning and was attended by representatives of the shipping companies, harbour boards, the Waterfront Control Commission, the Waterside Workers’ Federation, the Seamen’s Union, and the Mines and Railways Departments, when every phase of the production and distribution of coal was discussed. A special sub-committee which was apointed by the conference sat on Monday afternoon and submitted plans, which he was confident, if put into operation to the maximum, would enable the industry to supply the coal and thus avoid any form of rationing. North Island Production.

Referring to the article in yesterday’s issue of “The Dominion,” the Minister said that the figures given were misleading, unless it were clearly understood that they referred to all coal produced in the North Island and not merely to the Waikato group of collieries. The apparent drop.in 1930, compared with 1935, was mainly due to the closing down of the Tatu Colliery, which was now being_ reopened by the Government. In 1935 machine mining was practised in the Waikato and this would account for the difference in production per man. It was hoped that it would be possible to introduce machines again in the Waikato under safe conditions.

The following table showed the production for (a) the six principal mines in Waikato; and (b) all mines in the North Island since 1935: — Six principal

These figures, said Mr. Webb, showed that the northern mines had contributed in no small manner to the increased coal outpiut in the Dominion, and that production was already well ahead of the 1935 basis. The Coal Mines Council and the department were confident that further increases in production from the northern fields would be obtained this year, and every effort was being made to that end.

Committee’s Recommendations.

The Minister explained that the special committee to which he had referred had examined all aspects of the problem, at once. Briefly, these were: —

(1) To utilize other vessels as much as possible for general cargo, thus releasing vessels suitable for the coal trade.

(2) To take a census of all shipping to see what additional vessels can be put on the coal trade either temporarily or permanently (one small vessel will be put on in about a week’s time).

(3) To confer with local workers regarding hours of work, when vessels are in loading ports to get a quicker dispatch. (4) To get the maximum efficiency from the available coal hoppers at Greymouth.

(5) To reduce to the absolute minimum the shipping o£ small parcels which require to be “boarded oft” in the holds, and for pooling shipments of coal of the same class. “The first two points are being investigated by the representative of the shipping company, and the third by the Waterfront Commission and Watersiders’ Union,” said Mr. Webb. “Ah officer of the Mines Department experienced in the latter two matters is leaving for the West Coast immediately to tackle these questions. It will call for co-operation from distributors and consumers, but 1 know it will be forthcoming. “With the Coal Mines Council attending to the production angle, the Coal, Transport and Shipping Committee dealing with transport by sea, and the Mining Controller, assisted by advisory committees and the Coal Mines Council, controlling distribution and supplies of equipment to collieries, we have perfected an organization for efficiently handling all phases of the coal business. It will be noticed that our organization has recently been copied by the Australian Governments.”

Waikato mines. All mines. Eear. Tons. Tons. 1935 .. .... 717,808 837,620 1936 .. .... 690,405 795,837 1937 .. .... 696,447 778,498 1938 .. .... 678,924 762,717 1939 .. .... 709,869 802,705 1940 .. ../. 770,017 874,928