COAL PROSPECTS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 64, 13 September 1945, Page 9

COAL PROSPECTS

ENOUGH FOR HOLIDAYS

HOPES OF MINISTER

The hope that by the end of the year there would be a fair amount of coal in hand, at least enough for the Christmas holidays, was expressed by the Acting Minister of Mines (Mr. O'Brien), speaking in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. He said that the coal position was improving, but unfortunately, when they were getting a little ahead, the victory holidays came along. The miners did not work and a fair amount of coal was lost.

If New Zealand could obtain only one-third of' the coal from overseas that was brought in during 1942 or 1943 they would be very happy indeed, but there 'were no prospects of that. He agreed that as men came back from overseas the position would ease, for there had been a shortage of miners.

Dealing with open-cast mining, the Minister said that that system had saved New Zealand from some very severe headaches as far as coal consumption was concerned. No coal was obtainable from Australia, yet consumption by industries had increased by nearly 500.000 tons. When open-cast mining was started the only machinery that could be used was that in the country, and there were no big draglines. With the tools available a good job had been done. He agreed that if a success were to be made of the job draglines would be necessary. In operations at Glen Massey there was a loss of 3s 4d a ton, and it was something like 4s a ton at Glen Afton; but coal from underground mines was subsidised to the extent of 5s 5d a ton, and if that were added to coal produced' from open-cast mines there would be a very substantial profit indeed.