THE COAL DANGER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVII, Issue 12850, 24 June 1902, Page 4

THE COAL DANGER.

j Wellington seems to fee- threatened just [now with, its annual coal 'famine. Christchurch, too, is Buffering from a dearth of Westpoi't coal, though in our case there seems to be no .shortage of other coal. This winter shortage is rapidly becoming monotonous. It is all. very well to tell us that the weather prevents the coal vessels from crossing the West Coast bars or that there has been an abnormal demand'. The truth, of the matter is that the community is living from hand to mouth, the output in winter is barely sufficient to meet current requirements, and: no stocks are held in the centres of population to carry consumers over a time of dearth. Moreover, large quantities of the best coal in the market are being'exported, and all the while the price locally is maintained at an exorbitant figure. W,hen the- State Coal-mines Bill was passed last session we had l hopes that the Government would push on its operations so that the country would feel thebenefit of the movement during the present winter. But progress has been painfully slow, so mruch so that some of the Government's critics are declaring that the private companies have been exercising a strong "pull" to prevent the early opening of the State mine. We do .not believe for an instant that the Government is being influenced by the companies, but it has certainly displayed very little vigour or determination in. prosecuting an important, work. Even as a piece of "bluff," the attitude of the Government since the Bill was passed would have been poor and 1 useless enough ; as a serious effort to. establish a new State Department it has been almost pitiable. The primary intention of the Government, of course, is to supply its own wants, but it is l obvious that every ton it produces will release another ton for private consumption. When the State Coalj mines Bill was under discussion in Parliament, we remember, the Premier drew a •touching picture of the poor man who would be able to take his wheelbarrow along to the State depot at Wellington or Christehureh, put down his shilling and take away his bag of coal. We are many a long year from that consummation, and unless- a very determined effort is made at once, the unfortunate consumer will long remain under the thumb of the private company. It would be a good thing if the municipalities in this colony were given power to acquire and'store coal so that the people would not be continually dependent upon the merchants and retailers. There seems little prospectj unfortunately; of the Government undertaking the distribution of coal for many years to come, and the nest best system, obviously, would be- the municipal one. No doubt the merchants and dealers do the best they can in the circumstances, but if they purchase with an eye to the future it is also with an eye to 'future profit, and the interests of the consumer are not directjy considered. For the present winter, at aill events, we can expect no solution of the coal problem, and we hope that very strong representations on the subject will be made to the Government during the coming session of Parliament. The position is quite as bad as it was last winter before the State Coal-mines Bill was introduced, and it is the duty of Parliament to see that some very material progress is made with the State mine during the present year.