Collapse of the Coal Trade.

Northern Advocate, 25 November 1893, Page 4

Collapse of the Coal Trade.

«. WANT OF PROTECTION. THE KAMO, KAAVAKAWA AND NGUNGURU 'MINES SHUT DOWN. Notice has Lnun given to the employees of the Kaino Coal Mine that, all hands are to be dismissed at \he end of the current month, and the mine shut down. This has been brought about by the swamping of the Auckland market with inferior Newcastle coal, brought over at a nominal freight charge by returning timber vessels. The Ngunguru mine is also shut down for n similar reason, and notice lias also been given to finally close the Kivwakawa mines. Thus all our Northern Coal Mines are to be shut down and some hundreds of men thrown out of work. If an import duty had been put on foreign coal, Kamo and Ngunguru mines, instead of having to shut down, would bo in full swing, but unfortunately the welfare of the North is somehow most lamentably neglected. Evory industry and interest is the same : there is a want of foresight, of energy, aud vigour amougst our public men. In the South it is very different : there they tell our Northerners " You must not tax Newcastle coal, else the New South Wales Government will retaliate by taxing out our Southern produce." But New South Wales does tax their produce and our timber, although we do not tax their coal. But then what does it matter, this coal question only affects sleepy, drowsy Auckland !