THE STATE COAL-MINE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12570, 3 August 1901, Page 6

THE STATE COAL-MINE.

TnoxrGii'the session has now lasted fo* five, or six "weeks, the report of the Coalmines Commission has not yet been laid on the table of the House. This appears all the mere remarkable when it is remembered that though the Federation Commission was taking evidence in Australia when the Coal-mines Commission concluded its enquiries ' here, the report of "the former was presented to the Governor before the opening of Parliament. " The reason for this extraordinary delay in the case of the Coal-mines Commission can, in the absence of any author dative information, only form a subject for conjecture. But certain facts i'Katc come tb our knowledge which .go far •in the (direction of showing that the cause is tev-be found, in some unpleasant relatibnh between the Chairman and the Secretary of the Commission. It is even stated that there is a probability ■ that much of the evidence, which, was taken for public information ■ at 'public expense will not be printed, though why the alleged - difference between the Chairman and the executive officer of the Commission should interfere with the publication of the evidence is net quite clear. Whether all we have heard is correct or not wo are unable to say, but the delay in the presentation of the report certainly gives soma colour to the rumours that are being circulated, and we hope that no time will be’’lost in elucidating the facts. The coal question is far too important to the- community generally to be set aside by a personal quarrel between two of the gentlemen who have been appointed to assist in its solution. .The Government has committed itself to a State coal-mine; and has pledged itself to ask Parliament to sanction the step this.ses-, sion. For this reason we should like ( to see the report and evidence available v as soon as possible, as we are quite confident that the information they contain will materially strengthen the case for a State mine. Where the Government/intends to open the mine has nob yet been made public, but it is freely stated that it contemplates a commencement with the Cardiff property. This mine took fire some months ago, and one of the functions of the Commission was to enquire into the cause cf the catastrophe. Even under the most favourable circumstances some considerable .time must elapse before a State mine can be in working order, and meanwhile coal continues inordinately dear, constituting, indeed, a severe burden on the community. It may be pointed out that several important witnesses before the Commission, including Sir James Hector, advocated the entire cessation. of the export of ■ coal,- ' They emphatically stated that the colony’s supply was much less extensive than was generally supposed, and thatelf unrestricted exportation were allowed to go on the coal measures would be depleted in a comparatively short time. It would be, no doubt, a very serious thing to .prohibit, or even to restrict, the exportation of ccal, but the fact that an authority like Sir James Hector has declared, the exhaustion of the supply to be within measurable distance may well "induce, our legislators to consider the proposal. But the first thing necessary is to satisfy the requirement's of today, and towards this end, the report qf the Coal-mines Commission ought to afford valuable assistance. We trust that the Premier wall insist upon its early production.