NEW ZEALAND COAL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1931, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND COAL

(To the Editor.) Sir,—At a meeting of the Gas Institute of New Zealand held in Dunedin last week, Mr. A. H. Kimbell, Under-Secretary for Mines, made a strong appeal to the various gas managers to endeavour to use 'more extensively New Zealand coal for the manufacture of gas. After a lengthy experience, we are iv a position to say that New Zealand coal is not economically suitable for the production o£ gas, by modern vertical retort system, of carbonisation. In support of that statement let me give you tho actual experience of the Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., during the strike of Newcastle miners, which lasted for about fifteen months. When supplies of Newcastle coal were exhausted, the company commenced to use, in large quantities, New Zealand coal, with the result that the output of gas per ton of coal carbonised fell from 22,(J00 cubic feet to 17,000 cubic feet. In addition, the cost of production increased by no less than £700 per mouth, and, worse still, damage was caused to the vertical retorts by the undue expansion of the coal in the process of carbonisation. Altogether, it is estimated that including the damage 1o the retorts, tho extra cost of manufacture, plus diminution in output of gas per ton, the loss to tho company during the strike amounted to not less than £20,000. Furthermore, I would point out that the Mines Department were quite unable to furnish adequate supplies of coal during the strike, and it was with the concurrence of the Under-Secretary that the Wellington* Gas Company, Ltd., procured coal—unfortunately of inferior quality—from Queensland. One would have thought that when the miners were freed from outside competition, they would have bent all their energies to increasing the output of coal in New Zealand. They failed, however, to rise to the occasion, and work was frequently discontinued by stop-work meetings, holidays, etc. Again, owing to most of the ,coal on the West Coast being shipped from bar harbours, it happened several times that ships with supplies of coal were bar-bound for weeks. That did not affect the gai undertakings in the South Island, as they were able to draw their supplies by train. The position was also made worse by_ the inability of the Mines Department to' provide sufficient quantities of screened coal, and, incidentally, it may be mentioned that the Department's price for that grade is above the quotation for best Newcastle, which, admittedly, is tho finest gas producing coal in the world. At the Miramar works to-day we have several thousand tons of unscreened coal, which we arc working off by using one-third of that to two-thirds of Newcastle. By that, admixture our output has been raised from 17,000 cubic'feet to 20,000 cubic feet per ton. This 'could be increased to 22,000 cubic feet per ton if Newcastle alone were used for carbonising purposes. I mention that as an evidence of the desire on the part of the Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., to 'assist the local product as much as possible, even at some loss to tho company. I may add, also, to show the willingness of the Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., to help the Mines Department, that recently the company purchased 500 tons of coal originally intended for Napier, but which was diverted to Wellington through the temporary disablement of the Napier Gas Company's works. Iv conclusion, I can assert, without fear of contradiction, that had the Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., been entirely dependent upon supplies of New Zealand coal during tho strike, the works would have been closed for several mouths. The inconvenience and loss to the people of Wellington and surrounding districts, by such an event as that, cau be better imagined than described. However auxious one may be to assist a local industry, I think all fair-minded

people will admit that this cannot bedonc at too great a cost to the users of Dominion, products.—l am, etc., HAROLD BEAUCHAMP, , Chairman, Wellington Gas Co., Ltd. 18th February.