COAL SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1912, Page 7

COAL SUPPLY

SHORTAGE COMPLAINED OF TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL IN PROTEST. A 1 deputation from the Wellington Trades and Labour Council waited on the Minister of Mines (the Hon. J. Colvin) to-day to complain of the shortage of th« State coal supply in Wellington. The members of the deputation were : Messrs. W. T. Young, jj 1 . Reyling, M. J. Reaxdon, and W. T. Noob. Mr. Reardon (president of the council) said that the delivery of coal from the State Department had been very unsatisfactory owiDg to various causes and enquiries would show that the output of State coal from the Wellington depot was increasing. He wished to know whether the Minister could not do some thing to improve the present condition. 'of affairs, and see that the State mine* were worked up to the limit of their capacity. Mr. Young said the price of coal could be reduced 2s or 3s per ton without diminishing the profit* of the State. It was true that the difficulties recently were accentuated by the state of the West Coast bars, but the Government could provide against this by always having a. supply on hand at the Wellington depot ot between, say, 7000 and 10,000 tons. Th© 1 State Department was losing a large number of customers because it had been unable to deliver orders. He sincerely hoped the Government would get its own colliers instead of paying from £54,000 to £60,000 per year in marine freights. That money would provide two colliers. The Minister, in reply, said that he agreed that lose was occurring through the department being unable to fill orders,, but this was not the fault of the Government or the department. They had the bar harbours to contend with. and the new mine at Point Elizabeth had not been opened up ( yet,. A great deal of money had to be expended in getting a railway line iuto this mine, but within the next three or four months they hoped to be able to supply all requirements, and have a little to rre. He promised to place the views the deputation before the Government, and to communicate with the management of the mine with a view to seeing whether more coal could not be put into Wellington. While it was true that the Government paid £54,000 in freights to the shipping companies last year, it had to be remembered that the State got a quid pro quo. The State coal was a soft coal, and the loose coal was taken by these companies in certain quantities. This coal could not be disposed of at the depot*. When the new mine was opened up, if he was in office he would urge on the Government the necessity of getting vessels to carry the output. In the past the question had been brought up by Mr. R. M'Kerizie, Sir Arthur Guinness, and himself. In the meantime, however, by distributing their freights they were able to dispose of the loose coal. Mr. Reardon: Have you thought of opening up a mine in the North Island? The Minister said he had, but the difficulty was that there were no Crown lands with coal-bearing areas in the North Island. It was desirable, however, to have a State mine in the North Island, if it would be possible to get one. Mr. Young, also complained— of the delivery from the State depot. When a cargo arrived a few days ago, after orders had previously been refused delivery, the State carts stopped at 5 o'clock, while private coal merchants were delivering an late as midnight. Mr. Colvin remarked that the Department might have been looking after the labour conditions — possibly it did not want to work the men overtime ! He would, however, -have enquiries made into the matter with a view .to seeing whether matters could be bettered. v