COAL TO BURN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1906, Page 2

COAL TO BURN.

ENORMOUS WASTES OF FUEL. "The whole question turnß upop the destructive distillation of large areas of coal," remarked Sir James Hector when sounding a note of warning about Taranaki oil recently. He went on tki say that at the present time in New Zealand there were large areas of brown coal and lignite, all of which, by the artificial application of pressure, could be converted in a perfect form of fuel for steam purposes, just as they were altered in Ger-. many. Many years ago the great) geologists made reports on this fuej question, both for New Zealand and Victoria. In Gippsland (Victoria), he says, there are lignites several hundred feet in thickness. He pointed out that they could be made into most valuable fuel, tjio-ugh in their natural state they were practically worthless, Mr. Newbury, the Government Chemist), was sent to Europe for about two to investigate the whole mattfe*, and his report is valuable. Discussing New Zealand, Sir James states that there are millions of tons of worthless coal that cquld be turned into good fuel. AH the. e}aek and email coal tShai, accumulates at the mouths of mines could be converted into splendid steaming fue] without any admixture of other matter, euoh as was to be used in the new plonb brought out by the Government for briquetting the fine coal fron} the. State mines. He repommended the proper machinei-y long ago. About 1§76 Sir Jameg was commissioned by the Vogel Government tio look into the whole question of making compressed fuel out of inferior coals of Ne\y Zealand and opt of the slaok discarded by the present mines. He went' to Swansea and to the north of France, and inspected the various machines tnot- were used in this process. One of the leading machines was on flhe rotary, compression principle. The coal was mixed with other elements, and was pressed like a brick. Another was a machine that drove the coal, reduced to a pulpy condition, into apparatus shaped like a, cannon, fitted with a pistop, wuich by successive blows drove homo thp cpal, with & flip* ot ajr between. The result was the formation of a series of hard solid thick circular bricks of coal. They had the best qauiJitSes as fuel, and were produced cheaply at an"' extreme rate pf speed. They could be i stacked so that a touch of a- pick could bring dpwn jiny required quantity at) a j minimum cost of labour. AH this information js pigeon-holed awa-y ip some "dark cupbpurd of a Goyernmept office. A famous geologist, with a world- wide prestige, exerted himself to teach the Government how to give the people cheap fuel, which is now pTactioally allowed to go to waste, but his advice has been ignored. The records are still extapt. They could surely be perused by the heads of the present) Government with sop}e advantage to the country.

J A meeting was held last evening in Godber's rooms, Cuba-street, of ei'i<esidents of Lancashire, the county to which "our late Premier belonged. There was a very large attendance, Mr. Mack being appointed chairman, and Mr. R. M. Griffiths, secretary. Resolutions of condolence with Mrs. Seddon and family were unanimously adopted," and it waa.de- / cided that a- wreath be obtained (tp~ depict as near as possible the Red Rose of the county, of Lancashire) tp be placed , on the coffin, and that those present take part in the procession as Lancashire men m a -body* Before the meeting closed the following resolution was catried :—.: — . '\l'liat the secretary call a meeting /within' fourteen, days) by advertisement, inviting all Lancashire people residing in \yellington or suburbs to attend. _ At ouch meeting proposals will be submitted to perpetuate the memory of the Right Hon. X J. Seddop. One of the last compliments paid by Mr Sed.don was givep to Mr. X regear. Secretary for Labour. The Premier was on his way to Ballarat with Mr. Bent, . and the conversation turned on labour legislation. Incidentally the advantage of the New_ Zealand syatem of bureaux was mentioned, and Victoria's Premier was keenly interested. "Who's your h,ead man*!" asked Mr. Bent. "Mr. Tregear is Secretary for Labour," replied Mp. ipeddon, "apd his name is revered throughout the world in respect of labpUf legislation." 4.t the reqflefit of Mr Bent pc then (as notified by cablegrams) prpmjsed. to lend Mr. Tregeo.r to Victoria so that a Labour Bureau could be properly Orgtihispd on the linea ofNew Zealand's. In the Magistrate's Court *day, befora Dr, A, M' Arthur, S.M., James Deacon sued Samuel W. and Cnroline B. May-^mei-ville for £2 1.7s for gardening work done. 'His Worship, after hfearlng evidepce, gave judgment for the defendants, represented by -Mr, Toogood, with costs. Flockton and Co. proceeded "against Stanley Morgan und fW Bur-fl-ood for th© recovery of £1 10s, the value of goods detained in ppemiwß oc* cupied by the defendants, His Worship held that plaintiff should have sued tho landlord, instead of the tenants, and t?av© judgment *or the defendants, for ' Whom 'Mr Dunn appeared. J