COAL RESTRICTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1942, Page 4

COAL RESTRICTIONS

MR WEBB’S STATEMENT.

In connection with the restriction on the supply of screened and unscreened household coal from the Strongman and Liverpool State mines, the Minister for Mines, Mr. Webb, in a statement yesterday, denied that a commandeer of coal was contemplated. He said that stocks of coal for the railways which needed stocks for military purposes, and for gasworks were seriously depleted, and that coal suitable for those purposes would not be available for household use for the next few weeks. Other classes of household coal could be used, but the coal from the Strongman and Liverpool mines was urgently needed for running the railways and for making gas. The coal from those mines was ideal for those purposes, but the sulphur content of coal from other mines made it unsuitable for such essential works.

Mr. Webb added that the Mines Department had no intention of extending the commandeer to coal from other mines on the West Coast, and it was not proposed to prevent supplies from the North Island mines from being used for household purposes. A certain proportion of the output from co-operative mines has been commandeered, but the remainder will be available to assist in the meeting of orders for household coal. Dealers who have dealt exclusively in State household coal will be at a disadvantage, when compared with those who have in the past obtained some proportion of their supplies from cooperative mines. Whereas only James mine coal will be available from the State mines, part of the output of cooperative mines will be available for dealers, but will necessarily be sold to those who have dealt in that coal previously.

THREE SHIFTS AT BLACKBALL. The No. 1 north section of the Blackball State mine has been abandoned, on account of the flooding, but by next week all the miners will be placed back in work, and the mine should reach full production again. Throe shifts are being worked, with a total of 10 pairs of miners employed, and the intention is to place two more pairs of miners back on the coal next week, thus absorbing all the miners at the mine. Three new headings have been broken out, one to the north, another to the south, and the third to the west.

The pumps are still working in an endeavour to remove all the water from the old north section, and it was stated to-day that steady headway is being made.