COAL COMMANDEER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 104, 3 May 1919, Page 7

COAL COMMANDEER

EFFECT IN NEW SOUTH WALES

' SIDNEY. May 2; Mr Holman states that the increases in the prices of coal under Commonwealth control will involve. aft additional payment of £1,000,000 by New South Wales consumers, ;■

MELBOURNE, May 2

Mr Watt announced that for the present the coal controlling regulations would be confined to New South Wales.

WILL COMMANDEER AFFECT NEW ZEALAND?

(United Frees Association.)

WELLINGTON. May 2.

Referring to the announcement that the Federal Government decided to commandeer all the coal in the Cornmumvcmlth, the Hon. A. M. Myers stated to-day that as far as ho r could judge at the moment the Dominion’s supply from Newcastle would not be. detrimentally affected, as it was not anticipated that the output from the mines would bo reduced. The recent strikes at Newcastle had given considerable cause for anxiety, but from information received he understood tlfht. “the bulk of the mines had resumed work, and he. hoped regular supplies would soon In; again coming to hand from that source. Further, every endeavour was being made to arrange for oversea ships en route to the. Dominion, via both America and Australia, to pick" up cargoes of coal. The recent epidemic and the strike at Millevton, together with the continued stoppage of work at the Green Island mines in Otago, had accentuated the acute shortage of coal which had existed during the past two years in practically every part of the Dominion. “Every possible effort is being made, however,” concluded Mr Myers, ‘‘to do the best possible in the national interests with tie supplies corning to hand.'”