Mines to Save Waste in Small Coal

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 39, 16 February 1937, Page 10

Mines to Save Waste in Small Coal

IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Last Night. Tho alarming waste of small coal in some of the mines in New Zealand was discussed by the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb, and representatives of tho Southland coal industry at a private conference today. In a statement after tho meeting Mr. Webb said he was pleased to say that much had been done to recover the wastage in northern mines, and he was vory hopeful as a result of to-day's conference of establishing a savings system in .Southland. "As Minister of Mines I have been very much alarmed at the enormous waste of small coal that has been and is taking place, especially in the Waikato and Southland brown coal mines," said Mr. Webb. “In this district alone between 10,000 and 20,000 tons are destroyed annually while in tho Waikato district over 100,000 tons/a year are destroyed. A conference with Waikato coal mine owners was called and it was unanimously agreed to adopt a uniform three-quarter inch screen in all mines. This resulted in a saving of at least 10 per cent, of small coal, representing in Waikato from 350 to 400 tons a day. Tho scheme is operating very successfully and a market has been found for all small coal and wastage lias been completely eliminated. Furthermore, companies aro filling out of an old 30,000 ton dump of slack, from 300 to 400 tons a day to meet the demand. I am quite confident as far as the slack problem in Waikato is concerned, that a solution in uniform screening has been found. This experience has prompted me to call a conference of Southland coal mining interests and after discussing the mutter, the companies' representatives were unanimous that the introduction of a similar system of uniform screening over a threoquartor inch mesh would solve tho slack problem here."