THE COAL SHORTAGE

Gisborne Times, Volume LI, Issue 5227, 17 July 1919, Page 5

THE COAL SHORTAGE

HON. A. IVL MYERS EXPLAINS POSITION.

LARGE SHIPMENTS 3TROM AMERICA.

NEXT SIX WEEKS’ SUPPLIES.

70,000 TONS OVERSEA; 75,000 TONS WEST COAST.

Press Association Telegram. WELLINGTON, July 16. The Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister in Charge of Coal Distribution, in a statement regarding the coal, shortage. after outlining the activities of the department under his control in the direction of endeavoring to import as much as possible and distributing supplies to the best national advantage, says that during the last six months every possible effort had been made to influence the Shipping Controller to allow overseas tonnage to lift cargoes of coal at Newport News and Newcastle en route to New Zealand, and it was gratifying to observe thofse representations were resulting in importations being considerably increased. Three large vessels had brought cargoes of American coal, and five were now en route, making the total quantity from this source some 37,000 tons. Mr Myers said; there appeared to be an impression abroad that the whole output of coal from the West Coast mines could be drawn on for railway purposes. That idea was an erroneous one, as the railways required screened coal for their services. which represented only approximately 40 per cent, of the total output, the balance of the small coal being utilised for gasworks, tramway, freezing companies, and bunkering steamers. As far as the railways were concerned Mr Myers said his department had given urgent and special attention to this branch of the I üblic Service, as the following figures disclosed: —

The exigencies of war . had Oeen such, continued the Minister, that shipping tonna.ee, local, intercolonial and international, had been reduced to absolute minimum, and as far as the latter was concerned, owincr to' the urgent nature of the services on which they were engaged, tliev could not possibly be detained to pick up supplies of coal for the Dominions’ industries, but had to draw on our meagre supplies ot coal to carrv them hack on routes laid down by the Admiralty. The Government had repeatedly endeavoiired to charter ships for coal carrying, but on account of this extreme shortage it had not been practicable. However, now that tonnage was becommore plentiful, it had been possible to charter one vessel for one. trip from Australia, and tlie Minister was awaiting reply to a further cable despatched to the High Commissioner asking whether a suitable tramp collier or standard steamer could be released on a time charter to the New Zealand Government. “With regard to the present position, and the prospects for the next six weeks 5 5 concluded Mr Myers, tl 2b careful review of sniptnents from overseas in sight indicates that we mav expect to receive over 70,690 tons of coal if the arrangements already made materialise, together with" an estimated output trom tlie West Coast mines for July or approximatelv 75,000 tons. Of these quantities some 60.000 tons will be available for railway services. it via thus be seen that should• ”? unforseen circumstances arise to mteiteie with outputs and importations the situation will be easier than it has been for some months past.

big deputation to MINISTER.

REPLIES INDICATE NO IMPROVEMENT IN POSITION.

FURTHER RAILWAY RESTRICTIONS FORECASTED.

CERTAIN NUMBER OF CARRIAGES* TO EACH TRAIN.

ONLY PEOPLE OBLIGED TO TRAVEL MAY BE CARRIED.

HON. A. M. MYERS SAYS GREATER OUTPUT NECESSARY

Press Association Telegram. WELLINGTON, July 16. A deputation representing local bodies and business men of the Manawatu district waited upon Ministers in reference to the railway restrictions. „ , , , ~ The suggestions of tlie deputations as embodied in the resolutions of a recent conference were — (1) That the railways should carry essential goods so as not to hamper industry and to prevent closing ox industries, thereby causing unemployment. (2) That in view of the , danger of an absolute paralysis of the industry further efforts should be made to economise coal, and passenger services should be further restricted, and national regulations should be framed to restrict lighting and tramway services. (3) That in view of the present state of the coal industry, as shown in the Board of Trade’s coal report, urgent Government action must be taken to improve the housing and. other conditions at mines. (4) That the Minister for Munitions he asked to make a public declaration as to what steps. are being taken to relieve the position. (of That the Government take immediate steps, to “snag” the Mokau river to permit of. a large deposit ol coal being takem out to supply ports between New Plymouth and Foxton. Sir James Allen, replying, said he knew the time was one of difficulty for those engaged in industry, but he believed they would prove to have sufficient pluck to meet the diiuculties. He would ask them to make every endeavor to carry on their industries and prevent unemployment. It had' been suggested that new mines should be opened, hut the Government had come to the conclusion that it was impracticable to open new mines, and the only safe course was to concentrate all available labor in the development of the mines from which the output of coal could h 6 obtained. The Government was anxious to" improve the condition* of the miners in regard to housing, hut the improvement would take time, and would not have any effect on the present difficulty. It was -possible that the housing question wa s being exaggerated for some purpose. At the State mine there" wag good accommodation, and miners could earn up to 35s a day there. He suggested that the deputation should not go away with the belief that the housing problem at the mines was creating

the present difficulty. The Mokau river scheme was not feasible, as if the river were ‘snagged” it would take some time to get the mines open. . The Hon. W. IT. Herries, Minister for Railways, said li© would be glad if the deputation would discuss with the General Manager of Railways specific cases in. which relief might be given. The Department would be glad of tho advice of business men ias to what goods ought to he carried, when a little relaxation could be made. Passenger traffic wa s to be cut down as much as possible, and only a certain number of carriages would be put on trains, and these would have to carry only those people obliged to travel. A suggestion had been made that the Department should use coal now being used by steamer s for running express trains, but hunker coal was not suitable for locomotives. Tlie coal used by the Pateena on hei trip to Onehunga would not take the express further than Palmerston. The prospects were little (better than when the cut was made. It was possible towards the end of the month that a slight relaxation might be made in regard to the goods traffic, which would have to be increased. First, it might be possible to do something about the carriage of stud stock, timber, flax, and cement for dairy factories. Tlie Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, Minister for Mines, said that some men were coming "back to the State mines, but whether this was to become general lie did not know. As far a§ possible the Government had tried to meet the miners and induce them to get into the mines. The State mines seemed to he-satisfactory to the miners, yet there were always houses to let there. The housing conditions at some other mines were not good, but a large number of the unsatisfactory houses were owned by miners, and it was a question whether these men would move into rented houses if provided for them. The Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister for Munitions, said the outlook at the moment was more hopeful. There were at present in sight about 70,000 tons of coal. The output of the New Zealand mil fes must be increased. To suggest there should be higher wages without an increased output was asking for the impossible. All must aim at greater efficiency and a .greater output. Owing to the efforts of the Government all essential industries had been kept going. He had discussed with the general manager of the Union Company the possibility of restricting steamer-running. The question was still under consideration, but until the position became more acute he thought that ships should be allowed to run as at present if nothing untoward happened in the meantime. There might be justification for reviewing the position at the end of the "month.

STATEMENT BY AN EXPERT

HOW SUPPLIES HAVE FALLEN OFF.

Speaking on the coal Question, Mr. F. J. Gunn, chairman of the Wellington Coal Trade Committee, stated last week that occasions arose at -times during a general shortage such as was being experienced, not only throughout New Zealand, but all over the world, when the committee had to discriminate between the merits of a demand for purely domestic purposes. and one for an industry that was seriously threatened through a lack of coal to make the wheels go round. There was only one thing to be done in such a position—the coal must be given to the industry. That would he quite obvious on a little thought, for the sudden stoppage might at once cause a big factory zo close down, throwing out of work perhaps 100 or so hands on whose wages some 400 or 500 people might be depending. Sensible people must see that it was more essential that such an industry should be kept" live at the expense perhaps of the fullest comfort in. the home. That did not often occur, he was glad to say, hut it had occurred and might occur again, and the public must learn to be more tolerant in such cases, believing that the committee was doing its very utmost to meet the just demands of all sections of the community according to the merit of their cases. There had been a good deal of exaggeration as to the need during the last few days, and he was sure that if people had gone the right way about it they would have obtained at least a measure of comfort.

SHARP SHORTAGE

“How could there he anything else but a sharp shortage,” said Mr. Gunn, “when the amount of coal produced in New Zealand, or imported during the year 1918 was threequarters of a million tons short of what we produced and imported in the year 1914.” “To bring the figures more up-to-date,” continued Mr. Gunn, “the amount of coal either produced or imported during the five months of this year ended May 31st is 70,()00 tons short ’of what was at our disposal for the corresponding five months of last year. When supplies fall off so suddenly as that, there must necessarily he a shortage, and a good deal of inconvenience caused thereby. Then, again, since the shipping trouble in Australia, we have had to depend on the cargoes of three vessels only, which happened to be manned bv New Zealand crews, which vessels bring only one-tenth of the normal supplies we are accustomed to get from Newcastle. -

ILLUMINATING FIGURES

FURTHER DETAILS. “Nor do those figures tell the whole story,” continued Mr. Gunn, “for the greatest falling-off in. our coal output has' been that registered in connection with hard (bituminous) coal, the only coal suitable for gasmaking and bunkering. The figures in connection with the output from this class of coal (the product of the West Coast mines for the most part) are as follows

bituminous coal of high calorific value, which is known in America as New River coal. There was only I one thing against it, and that was 1 that it was extremely driable, and liable to unload small. But several industrial firms to whom it had been supplied had testified that the New--1 port coal was as good a's any they had used, and were prepared to take as much of it as they, could get, which hears out its reputation as a coal of high calorific value. There is no doubt that it is a High-grade coal for steam-raising purposes.”

COAL HOARDING

NEW REGULATIONS ISSUED.

ANY PREMISES MAY BE SEARCHED.

Press Association Telegram. WELLINGTON, July 16. An amendment to the coal trade regulations issued to-day provides that any inspector of factories,, on being authorised by warrant signed by any member of a Coal Trade Committee may enter upon any premises with a view to discovering whether coal is being hoarded in unreasonably large quantities, having regard to the shortage of supplies, dance the Salome dance, causing roa\ PASSENGER TRAFFIC STILL FURTHER RESTRICTED.

TONNAGE SAVED AVAILABLE FOR GOODS.

Press Association Telegram. WELLINGTON, July 16

Cabinet has approved a recommendation by the Minister for Railways to restrict passenger traffic still further to cases in which travelling is essential, and the tonnage so saved will be available for goods.

Coal deliveries railways during years ended March 31, 1914, to 1919 . 1918Tons. ... 293,157 ... 306,656 ... 324,343 ... 330,660 ..: 271,110 ... 307.369 Coal deliveries to railways from January to June, 1919: January February March April May June Tons. ... 111,959 31,105 . 36,762 ... 15,026 .. 19,198 ... 13,950 Total Average tons per 197,000 month, 21,116.

“Here are a few figures which show at a glance the manner in which our coal supplies have fallen away since the year 1914: — 1914. Produced in New Zealand Imported into New Zealand Tons. 2,275,593 518,070 Total 2,793,663 1915. Produced in New Zealand Imported into New Zealand 2,208,624 353,471 Total 2,562,uy5 1916. Produced in New Zealand Imported into New Zealand 2,257,135 293,956 Total 2,551,091 1917. \ Produced in New Zealand Imported into New Zealand 2,068,419 291,597 Total 2,360,016 - 1918. . Produced in New Zealand Imported into New Zealand 1,820,414 258,212 Total 2,078,626

1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 ... Ton?. 1,494,313 1,404,400 1,422,047 1,247,989 965,175 "The coal that is being imported from Newport News by some of the transports,” said Mr. Gunn, “is a