COAL PRODUCTION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 August 1926, Page 5

COAL PRODUCTION

NO NEED TO IMPORT.

DOMINION RESOURCES

OUTPUT FROM THE MINES

FROM OUU PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER. WELLINGTON, Aug. 4. “What guarantee have we that we will get it?” demanded tlie Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) to a declaration from Air W. A., Parry (Auckland East) that New Zealand should depend! entirely on its own coal mines j that it should not import 700,000- tons annually. Air Parry suggested that the Prime Minister’s question was extraordinary. There was no reason to believe that the New Zealand miner wa.s any less capable than those, of Australia aud America.

Air Coates: “Keep us supplied six months iu advance of requirements.” Air Parry expressed tlie o-piniou that this would) not. be difficult with proper organisation. The Government should not be worried over the possibility of the miners not- producing sufficient.. Air Coates: “It means- altering the machinery somewhat, but we ought to do all we' can to use local coal. There should, however, be a guarantee.” “The greatest culprits, if you can call them so, in regard to tlie importation of coal are. private individuals,” remarked the -Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Mines, after the mines annual statement had been discussed at great length. One, of tlie greatest, offenders was the (Canterbury province, but there is no necessity, now that communieaiton is> opened to the West Const.

The Minister, referring to an expression of surprise from the Labour benches at his suggestion that there were quite sufficient production for New Zealand! requirements without developing a State mine in tlie- Waikato, strengthened his opinion by stating th-at Cabinet had been considering the closing down on further leases of mining areas. They must not allow these to get into the; hands of people whom they knew could not make the mines pay. They' would get out the easy coal and destroy a coalfield of many millions of tons in the process.