COAL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 139, 8 March 1941, Page 7

COAL SUPPLIES

Australian Importations

REDUCTION HOPED FOR Denying any inference from the list of subjects discussed by the Government with Mr. H. L. Anthony, Assistant Minister of Commerce and Finance in the Australian Commonwealth Government, that coal importations from Australia were to be increased, the Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb, said In an interview yesterday that the intention was to produce every ton of coal needed for the country in the Dominion.

“Tbe question of coal importations from Australia was discussed with Mr. Anthony, who wished to ascertain our requirements,” Mr. Webb said in reply to a question. ‘T pointed out to him that our intention was to produce all the coal needed for our own requirements. However, a number of gas works with vertical retorts which require non-swelling coals, have found the Australian coals more suitable, but adjustments are being made to many of those plants to enable them to use local coal. I told Mr. Anthony that I could not see any possibility of increasing importations; to the contrary, I was looking forward to an early reduction of imported coal. Mr. Anthony fully understood that point, and his object in discussing coal was merely- to get a picture of what our requirements would be.”