THE COAL SHORTAGE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 81, 5 April 1919, Page 7

THE COAL SHORTAGE.

(Uhitfed-'Pi'&s Ahfeciatiph.)' : UHiRISILTI Li H-O'H, April 4. The supply dU coal Tor , school purposes wa s reterred to '*n ffidigmirit' terms by some members of . tint* ; Cdn--terbitry Education' Board at As' meeting;' to-day. -Several rnethbers «hi‘d philp some time ago a certain'larga coal com*' pfihy had agreed to supply the boardwith up-" to •'•600 tons at . £2 2s, 6d_ per ton, : but- owing to what" tyas ■ simply a “coal ’’ring" m : ; 'Uhristohut-ch this offer was blocked, Mr. H, <l. iiignen said lie had been., told - by a big' firm in Grey-, moutfi that coal' could be put on 'board 1 ship there'tor ±l.l per ton, .the freight to Lyttelton, being 1U 6d. Several members desired to know who took the dUference between the actual price ot the coal and the price which was bb; mg. charged the ■ public, “Got! knows we want to keep our Children- warm,"' commented Mr J. .dahwesoii; “but the' con! ring- won't iht'us." WESTPORT, April 4. With regard to a complaint Trom Christchurch -of’ the coat shortage,’ Mr : .Oonald McKenzie, a memhdr of the West-port-.'Borough Council and an aspirant for; a neat on the Westport Harbour Board at the coming elections, points out that the root ol the trouble lies with the Government nov linking up Westport With the immense coal field,, ni the Huller and Inahgaliua. Valleys.' Buffer Gorge railway only requires . extending about 14 miles 'o open up what is apparently the largest and most easily worked coalfield in New Zealand.' Mr McKcnvie contemplates stumping the jUoniinion on the' iron and coal questions and he cdfUendr that the- lolly m the past Hn regard • to Hie iron t industry has been. In Taking the coal to the' iron ore /instead of the iron'to the coal. Tie., -illustrates this by wh.r has happened m Australia and England. V ' ;