RAILWAY COAL

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1931, Page 5

RAILWAY COAL

THE IMPORTATIONS Minister’s Explanation SHORTAGE OF WEST COAST SUPPLIES. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, June 6. ■ The Minister of Railways, Hon. AV. A. Veitch, made a statement to-day in ( regard to the importation of coal from' Australia. In the course of it, he said that, with a view to building up tho stocks of coal, the Railway Department had increased its orders on /the New-' Zealand mines on March 18, and again’ on March 30. Nevertheless by the end of April, there was no increase in supplies. Even up to Mav 23, the increase in the stocks amounted to only four thousand tons, which was little morel than half a week’s consumption. As ■ the prospect of obtaining coal from the New Zealand mines was not. satisfactory, he was reluctantly compelled to, place an order for forty thousand tons from Australia. 1 Mr Veitch gave figures to prove his} previous statement that the New Zea-J land mines have not been able to de- 1 liver the quantities arranged for to overtake the shortage of the reserve supplies as follows: —

Dobson Mine: —The railway order for this mine now stands at sixteen hundred tons per week to which it was increased in April; but the supply has*' averaged only 775 tons a week. lie has been advised that this mine will shortly be able to meet the Department!, ’s order. i Brunner Mine.—This mine has a. temporary order for 1595 lons peri week. The average supply since April I 13 has only been 720 tons. The Sec-1 rotary advises that no more than 850 tons a week can be guaranteed Liverpool State Aline.—This mine has an order for 500 tons a week bur iits average supply under this order has been 400 tons. .This mine was closed for two weeks on account of a dispute between the miners and the/ mine engine-drivers. Grey-Point Elizabeth Co-operative Coal Mines.—Those mines have had orders totalling 1020 tons a week, but | they have fallen short in deliveries, the, average weekly supply being 370 itons. 1 Briundale Mine.—This mine has tin . order for 820 tons a week, but is un- j able to guarantee more than 350 tons i a week at the present time, but may 1 be in a position to increase this to j 500 tons a week in about six weeks’ time. Westport-Stockton Aline.—This min? has an order temporarily increased from 800 to 2200 tons of screened coal a week, and up to May 23, had delivered this quantity. However, owing to the loss of certain orders for slack and screened coal, including ithat from the Golden Bay Cement Company, which has temporarily suspended operations, and the dearth of ships’ bunkering orders, the mine will have difficulty in providing screened coal to meet the Department’s orders. As a matter of, fact, ninth against /the Department’s wish, we took a quantity of unscreened coal from this company in an endeavour to assist them in their difficulty.

Cascade Aline.—This mine is still out of action, and it will be some time yeit before the order for 1000 tons can be supplied. It is proposed to let the order remain, as when the mine reopens it is not likely to be delivered 1 at a greater rate /than 100 tons per c week.

Air Veitch says: “I wish to repeat I that the Department will continue to | take New Zealand coal, and so long • as the mines are able fully to meet. our requirements from time to time,l there will be no necessity to resort to I importations in future. CHRISTCHURCH, June 6. ’

The Lyttelton Harbour Board will j use Liverpool coal, from the State ! mine, for the next twelve months. This was decided on by a meeting of the Board on Thursday. The Finance Committee reported that after considering the secretary’s report on trials of coals tendered for and submitted, it 1 recommended that the tender of ‘the State Coal Depot for Lverpool small coal at 32/6 per ton delivered on trucks, Lyttelton, bo accepted. The chairman (Air 11. T. Armstrong, AI.P.) reported that itests had been made of, all coals, and in the opinion of the committee, Liverpool coal from the State mine was most suitable. f