STATE-OWNED COLLIERY

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1910, Page 2

STATE-OWNED COLLIERY

Statements made by the Victorian Premier (Mr Murray) and the Minister fore Mines (Mr. M'Bride) made it apparent (says the Argus) that 1 the Mm Uftry intends to endeavour to get ;as near as possiVe to a State monopoly of coal mining in Victoriai. No further cOal-mining leases ',. are to be granted in any part of the State until the Ministry has decided whether Parliament . shall be asked to give the State the right to supply coal to the public as well as to the Railway Com mJs r vioners. This announcement, of course, affects all cases which have been applied foil in the Powlett di« ■trict. "We feel," remarked the Premier. i"s coal is the basia of so much in tbe life of the community, 'it should be provided as cheaply a 4 possible. By selLng the coal without profit, the Strite could supply the artic'e to tho public at much less than the present price of Newcastle coal "We think that the importance of cheap coal, wheth* I er for domestic or industrial purposes, is a sufficient reason for the State undertaking to supply it. I am thereoi c of opinion that th» MAnstry will have to; ask Par.liamnt to authorise th State to supply the public with con 1 from our State mine at Powlett." The Minister of M^nes acknowledged that he wanted to see the State supplying.the whole 1,250,000 tons of coal consumed by Victoria every year. "There is the coal in Victoria," he

added, "and while the State is supplying .the railways with cheap coal itl might well do the name for the general public."