COAL SHORTAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 122, 22 April 1940, Page 6

COAL SHORTAGE

MAY AFFECT RAILWAYS. MINISTER’S , STATEMENT. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, April 22. One of the first repercussions shortage of coal supplies in New' Zealand would be a restricted railway service. This statement was made by the Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. AVebb), to-day, when commenting on the conditions existing in the coal industiy. Mr AVebb said the Government would deplore the necessity to curtail the railway service, but it supplies weie not available it would have not alternative. . ~ . Mr AVebb added that investigations were being made to ascertain the speediest way in which extra coal could be produced to meet the immediate requirements. When a report on these investigations was received the Government would not hesitate to take whatever action was deemd wise to put the recommendations into effect. On his return to Wellington he intended to confer with the" representatives of the mine owners and the mine workers to review the general conditions prevailing in the industry. At the conclusion of this conference recommendations would he submitted to the Government for the enforcement of better ••o-ordination in industry. Mr AA 7 ebb added that the situation as regards supplies in the North Island was worse than in the South Island, and unless shipping conditions were favourable from the South Island AVest Coast ports there was a real possibilitv of a shortage of bituminous supplies there, which would be serious for the railways. In reply to a question, Air \\ ein said the Government had followed the previous Government’s policy ot not granting leases of new areas. This was done to prevent uneconomic development, but in the light of present-day facts the policy must be reviewed, and the Government was determined that, sufficient mines would he opened to maintain supplies.