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Northern Advocate, 13 August 1948, Page 3

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The Dominion’s proved coal resources today were 300,000,000 tons, of which 14,000,000 tons was bituminous, and the probable coal was 537,000,000 tons, which included 56,000,000 tons of bituminous coal. That made 70,000,000 tons of bituminous coal, which was all that was in sight at present, although further prospecting might reveal more. A very substantial proportion was high sulphur coal, which could not be I used for the purposes for which bituminous coal was needed. The high-grade „ bituminous coal would have to be preserved for specific purposes. ■» The total coal production to the end of 1946 was 111.000.000 tons, of which bituminous and sub-bituminous coal accounted for 105,000.000 tons, and 6,800.000 tons was lignite.

' The Minister said the coal had been used in the -wrong proportions, and in future it would be necessary to adopt a more correct way of using it. The Government had sent an expert abroad to study the processes of sulphur extraction from coal. In May, 1919, the New Zealand Board of Trade expressed the opinion that some form of nationalisation of coal was needed. There were no Labour members on the board. The bill did not affect the ownership of coal mines, but that was being aequired by the state in anotner way. * So far as compensation was concerned, he continued, there was one school of thought which considered no compensation should be paid, because the present owners of the coal did not create it. nor did they add anything to its value. , , J The other school demanded that compensation be paid for eveij ton of coal