N.Z. COAL OUTPUT

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1937, Page 7

N.Z. COAL OUTPUT

A DECIDED INCREASE. (Pei Press Association —Copyright;. WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. The output of coal from the print eipal New' Zealand mines during the first six months of this year exceeded 1,090,000 tons, an increase of close on 35,000 tons over the corresponding per iod of last year. This production maintained in employment an average of 3,346 workers, underground and on the surface. The Minister of Mines (Hon P. O. Webb) said in an interview to-day, that the returns from the various coalfield; showed that the South Island mines had increased their outputs by 62,000 tons, while, on the other hand, the pro duction in the North Island had de creased 27,513 tons. The total production, he said, was 1, tons. “An appreciable feature of the industry this year is the fact that, for the comparative periods under review', the importations of coal dropped by 7.259 tons from 54,250 to 47,061 tons,” continued Mr Webb, “but against that satisfactory gain, our expoits of coal decreased from 26,880 tons in the first six months of last year, to 21,431 tons during the first half of this year, a drop of 5449 tons. In view of the enormous increase in the use of electrical -power and heat throughout the Dominion, the coal mining results are good.” “As Minister of Mines, I would hav; been better pleased had the industry been able to employ more hands. The increase in the average number of workers was only 111, as compared with the average total during the cor responding period of 1936. Still, it ii gratifying to know that th rt industry is sharing in national industr.al re covery.”