STATE COAL MINES.

Grey River Argus, 5 March 1929, Page 8

STATE COAL MINES.

(To the Editor,.). Sir, —With great pleasure I noticed that the Minister of Mines has invited the public to make suggestions how to improve th e sale of State coal. In the year 1920 I visited different coal depots in England, Scotland, Wales, Germany and" other countries and interested myself in studying the preparation of the different coals for the market. In some mine s the slack coal would be washed and in Germany I noticed soft coal that could not stand water, dry cleaned, particularly coal which is utilised for gas works, and particular attention was attached to having the coal free of holing dirt. In some mines in Germany, in conversation with the managers, I got to know that the seams are mixed with holing dirt, which with th 0 most careful attention couldn’t be picked out by the miners, and before they .adopted the process of dry cleaning the particular group of mines could not find a market for the product. In my way of reasoning, similar conditions prevail at the State mine, and I have heard similar remarks passed by the managers of different gas works in New Zealand. The Mining Department possesses the’ finest deposit of high class gas coal in the world, the only fault being too much holing dirt. This, however, may be separated by a proper dry cleaning plant., which can be constructed with very small outlay and very cheaply operated. Further, let them send samples of this dry-cleaned coal to every big gas works in the Dominion for testing, and supply the salesmen with th,e result of the test for smaller gas works. I am perfectly satisfied if the Department adopt this treatment of slack coal, the demand will greatly increase, better time will be worked, the loss of coal in the pillar extraction will lessen; and I can quote an instance in the top mine that hundreds of good round coal is being lost, the reason being that the mine is standing for four or five days idle. The loss through dust would be lessened by my proposition, and other losses incidental to tho old system would be averted. Tho taxpayers generally should know that for every day the mine is idled it means a loss of £2OO, because that is the cash expenditure on salaries, overhead costs, e*c. There s no return and the loss of good round coal can be estimated at £lO,000 per year. Further I ask the Minister of Mines why people have got to pay more for State coal than for any 1 other coal produced. If the Minister o f Mines is satisfied that this proposal will benefit the State mine, and the workers. I will give particulars of this plant through Mr Holland or Mr O’Brien. —I am etc.. EX-MINER. Greymouth, 3rd., March, 1929.