STATE COAL MINES.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 61, 9 September 1905, Page 2

STATE COAL MINES.

- + PROGRESS OP THE VENTURE. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. The House was yesterday placed in possession of the Teport on th© working of tho State coal-mines for tho year ending the 31st March last. The chief point about the r-sport is that on the Seddonville mine thero was a loss on the yef»r of £6109 Is, and on the Point Elizabeth mine there was a profit of £17,351 11s lOd. With regard to the Point Elizabeth mine .the report states that tho raising of coal for the market •wna begun in May last year, and up to ithe 31sb .March lasSt 92,949 tons had been wised and disposed of, .chiefly to the Department of Working Railways. Hitherto unscreened coal only has been handled, but, ' eaya ths report, as the output now exceeds the demand foT thii class, il 'has been decided to add to the plant by erecting acreena to enable thD requirements of 'the household trade to 'be met. The mine is at present capable of producing 3000 tons per week. Draling with the Ssddtmville mine the •report states in recently-opened workings the coal is much "harder and of superior quality, and icoal is 'being obtained which should give good results in locomotive work." A* total of 40,090 tons was raised from th© mine- during the y?ar. The Balling prices, owing to ths crushed character of th© coal, have not been payable, but aince the opening of the south workings arrangements nave been made whereby better price 6 will bo obtainable, and in future if trade is maintained thero is a good prospect of the mine being made to show a margin of profit. The managing agent (Mr. A. MicDougall) in his report on th* Seddonville mine, states that the quality Of the coal naa been found to be extr&nely variable, and the demand co uncertain and intermittent that full -time for the miners «ould not be maintained. Taking the output all through during the twelvo months he estimates that there was nob 20 per cent, of good sound coal suitable for 'household or locomotive purposes to be found in the -whole production, the remainder being in a soft, Miuahy, arid h&lf perishsd stats, rendering its sale often difficult and always unsatisfactory. Tho railways were unablo to use the coal profitably for locoirtofcivos. He understands, however, that during the la4t fsw wed« (his report is dated the 31st July) a new development has taken place in a, different part of the mine, which shows a Very great improvement in the quality of the coal. As to the Point Elizabeth uiino, Mr. MacDougall reports that the quality of the coal is excellent, and ths demand for it far exceeds ths supply. "'lf," lie goes on to say, " the quality and quantity of the coal from 1 these mines keep up their pr^ent standard, and •the Btddonville product fulfils ita present promise-, the colony's main supply for the fuhvre will be derived from the State coal mines, and, with the prospects now held out, there should be no .hesitation in proceeding' with the development of these coalfields «s . rapidly as Circumstances permit «nd the demand for the coal TequireSy' Tho Government, he goes on. to say, has a larga tract of conlbearing country containing an enormous quantity of good sound coal ' do work upon. But the profitable working of these coalfields .must dap-and llargely upon the amount of skill and economy with -which they are developed. Coal cannot be s6ld cheaply if it id not won cheaply, and in the present field 6f competition this can only Jje 'accomplished under the highest conditions of practical knowledge and economy. • The manager goes on to say that fair and -reasonable! freight arrangements have been entared into With Steamship owners for the carriage of State coal from Greymoulh and Westport to tha various port 6of the colony, and coal dealers and private importers who wish to buy cargoes or part cargoes of State coal at f.o.b. prices can, through the same channels, .procure the benefit of these arrangements. Theso arrangements ho stake, already effect, i reduction in freight on coal for Government Departments alono of about £3000 fet annum as compared with thase ruling when the State offic« was established. With reference to the question of establishing depots for the sale of coal in the various centre.s, the manager expresses the opinion that tho Stats conl mines will never adequately fulfil t'ho object for -which they were undertaken until such dcpot3 are opentd. Tha initial cost, ho remarks, would not be heavy, and it would 6oon b? recouped from profits on sale of <-oal. Hitherto by far tho larger port-ion of tho coal produced from the State mines has been used by the rnilwnyo and other Departments o f the Government, but now, wilh the prospaci, of larger developments <ab Greymouth and flip erection pf screening appliances thsrc, mid alsrt the development of the new fifld recently opened out at Seddonville, lie should say that the Governinont Would "be justified in establishing tlrpols in the lafge centres without delay, and extending gradually to other parts of tho colony -as moro coal became available. There is ptocticaljy an unlimited supply of coal, shys Mr. MacDougall in conclusion, and tho quality both for steam and household purposes as now coming forward is all that could bo desired. At present there is an opening in the colony for at Jenst ' 400,000 tons of firsl-claas State coal,, which, if available, could bo sold to advantage at a large reduction on g«awit p.rice<s (