WESTPORT COAL DEPRESSION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 15 September 1909, Page 4

WESTPORT COAL DEPRESSION.

A BRIGHTER ASPECT. | (United Press Associatiok.) WESTPORT, Tuesday. The Stockton coal mine trade is improv. ing, several good orders having, been received for "slack" for gas makiitg and smithy purposes. Hitherto the difficulty has been to get rid of the slack. Mr W. Shackleton, who came to Westport under arrangement with the Govern, ment to introduce tho new process in coal briquetting, has had a considerable number of briquettes turned out, and they look very good samples. To a Westport "News reporter he stated to-day that he canie over to Westport under engagement by the Government tb do a certain thing, and he had been entirely successful. He had not to niter his formula in the slightest degree. After making the first lot of briquettes he handed over affairs to tho manager of tho briquette works, and the latter had turn- ' ed out briquettes similar' to his own samples without any trouble whatever. The process ensured better fuel, -smokelessness being one of its virtues* and the cost of binding was reduced one-half. • A person intimately connected with the local trade made a protest to-day against the statements made by the Mm. ' ister for Railways that the coal required - for the railways could not be- supplied from Westport. He stated that on tho Westport line unscreened coal was used on locomotives, with most satisfactory results, although the, locomotives., had to draw long trains of trucks laden ..with coal to the port. His idea wa*;-Jhat the , Railway Department wanted jscratosd Westport coal to mix with the'-.. inferior from the. State mine. He thought' the remedy might . be for the coal owners net to supply screened coal at all.