THE COAL TRADE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 March 1910, Page 2

THE COAL TRADE.

Ar.ur.Aiiv evidence is not wanting that ihc local coal trade, which has been abnormally brisk during recent months, is again going to suffer severely by competition from Newcastle. Indeed the news which wo published yesterday regarding the arrangements being made for dumping the foreign article into New Zealand should cause much concern in this district, which will he the piincipal sufferer thereby. The list of loadings at Newcastle for ports in this dominion is already quite formidable. The Union Company, for instance, has quite a small fleet preparing to engage Ut the trade. The effect has soon become evident, as will he judged by the following paragraph from a Westport contemporary -“Some twelve or fourteen pair of miners have been dispensed with at Stockton, which is taken a-- a pteludc to the abolition of the second shill. Newcastle is probably asserting her rights in a more vigorous manner than ever, and Westport, had better be on the iileit, witli a view of solving a remedy for the previous -unsatisfactory state ot ihe local coal trade." Ihe same remarks .apply with equal bji'i’e to the whole industry in New Zealand, which, it cannot he denied, hits come within the clutches of the abominable Newcastle coal vend. indeed, there seems a possibility that (hat trust alrcadv controls .a portion of the New Zealand industry, which is apparently to suffer to pamper (he trade of Newcastle. The matter is one which requires intervention by the Covernmcnl, as a limitation of llm output from the West Coast mines must in a measure, detrimentally affect the whole of the dominion. As the result ol the resumption of work at Newcastle —under conditions that stand in need "t urgent revision—orders are already (ailing oft lie re. 1 lie position is that the West ( oast mines wore quite capable of supplying all demands made on them during the strike, and, it is imporiant to note, the price remained unaltered throughout (he whole period, despite (he greatly increased demand. Huts it has-been exemplified that the New Zealand mines can supply all (he coal required in the dominion, whose markets should it least he conserved b> them by the Legislature which has protected every other local industry. The (oal trade also has a right to be prntei ted, and it would surely be wise to approach Parliament with a view to having an import duty on coal placed in iln* customs tariff. ft this were accomplished, the wholesale dumping of coal, mined under vitiated condo tions, would be rendered unpayable, or reduced to the lowest possible mininmm. Such a step would stimulate I enterprise in the .dominion’s minim' ni.iusl ry, which is justly entitled to • ■very encouragement and assistance If'an (he Covenirneiit.