N.Z. COAL OUTPUT

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1940, Page 7

N.Z. COAL OUTPUT

RECENT INCREASE. (Per Press Association—Copyright) NEW PLYMOUTH, Sep. 17. “We have got over the winter without having to ration coal,- without having to curtail essential services, and, in fact, without serious inconvenience,” commented the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb, tonight, when referring to the statistics for the first eight months of the year. Some months ago, ho pointed out, the country was faced with the possibility of a serious shortage of coal, because of the increased demand of the rapidly expanding secondary industries; the cutting off of supplies to the gas works from Australia, as the result of the strike there, and an increased export of bunkering coal for the Navy and for transport purposes. So far this year, he said, New Zealand had imported 50,000 tons less coal, and had exported 4,000 tons more, compared with the first eight months of last year. The production this year was already 120,000 tons ahead of the production for the same period of last year, which meant that the output had increased by 155,000 tons since March,3l, up to which time, because of flood damage and storm delays to shipping, production was 35,000 tons below last year. The improvement was largely due to increased efforts of the companies and the men, who were working extended hours at ordinary rates of pay-