NEW ZEALAND COAL

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 86, 8 October 1930, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND COAL

WANGANUI GASWORKS

REPLY TO COMMENTS

(J3y Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WANGANUI, This Day

la the House of Representatives on Monday attention was focused on the Wanganui City Council as being the greatest offender in using Australian coal in the corporation gasworks.

Tho Mayor (Mr. J. Rogers) says that when the matter of future, coal supplies was being discussed by the council on a report from the gas engineer recently, the council unanimously agreed to the Mayor's own proposal embodied in the following report from the Gas Committee: "The committee, having discussed the matter of coal supplies, recommends tho council to adopt the gas engineer's recommendations as to the use of Newcastle coal on the understanding that he will, whenever practicable and according to his discretion, use as great a percentage of New Zealand coal as possible."

Mr. Kogers stated that the gas engineer had assured him that he was using as great a percentage- of New Zealand coal as was possible, in fact, 50 per cent. If New Zealand coal was to be used exclusively, then it would be only a matter of a" short time before the council would be- faced with considerable expense ,in erecting an additional plant.

The Mayor stated that he and his fellow-councillors were just as anxious as anyone in the Dominion that the utmost amount of New Zealand coal should be used. Their decision was unanimous and in no way influenced by political party considerations. He had acknowledged the letter written to him by the Minister of Mines urging greater use of New Zealand coal at AVauganui gasworks, to the effect that his council was doing its best to meet his wishes and would again give consideration to this important matter.