STATE COAL MINES BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 12585, 17 August 1905, Page 7

STATE COAL MINES BOARD

At yesterday’s sitting of the Coal Mines Board of Inquiry at Wellington, Alexander M'Dougall, agent for the State mines in Wellington, recalled, stated that he did not know that as a general rule customers wanted coal mixed. At any rate, he would say that the Government did not want State cool mixed with any other kind. He would not advise the State to sell its coal for mixing purposes. To Mr Green: He had nothing to say if the chief mechanical engineer said that the best results were obtained by mixing State coal. He objected to supplying State ooal for mixing when he could nob get enough of it to supply those who wanted only State coal The evidence submitted to the Commission as to the mixing of coal was not untruthful, but mixing was not general. The stoppage of the Seddonvillo mine was simply due to the fact that they were not producing the coal suitable for consumers. There was a loss of from 5s to 7s per ton. Ibis was very serious. Witness quoted figures showing that there were practically continuous arrears in orders for railway coal since last April. At the present date there were 3,285 tons in arrear. There were 2,100 tons of fresh orders, in addition to 1,000 tons on order for private people. It was no good witness pushing private orders Whilst the mines were so much in arrear in .supplying the State railways. The present system of working the State mines was rotten, and until the Mines Department took them in hand there would be no improvement. By having the head office in Wellington matters would be greatly improved. Tbe office expenses were very heavy under the present system, and could be reduced. The cost of producing State coal was Is per ton more than the cost of producing other coals. • Duncan Campbell, chief clerk to tbe managing agent, stated that the system of bookkeeping in connection with • the State coal mines frequently created great delay i in the matter of adjustments as between I Wellington and Greymouth. The whole ! system now was cumbersome and unbusi- | ness-Kko. It would bo better if the Grcy- ' month office, so far as bookkeeping was | concerned, were shifted to the Mines Department in Wellington.