GOAL FROM ABROAD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 23 March 1921, Page 4

GOAL FROM ABROAD.

A COSTLY CARGO (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, The log of the. trip of the Wta'Kofa in sea roll for coal, for, the New’ Zealand, railways was trac^t :^y; i'Mr, Fraser (Wellington Central) in the .House. His object, he said, was; to discover how much 6500 tons of coal brought by the ship cost the country. The ship was chartered by the Railway Department and was*first sent-to Newcastle, where it remained for ten days, not being able to get cargo. iFthen,' ; ptf 9 til September, left; for .Vanyouvcr., ' where it arrived on 11th October, For the next five weeks it lay there without receiving an ounce of coal, when 2000 tons ivero secured, but it was hot till H)th November that the balance was obtained. Ultimately the WaiIfora arrived in Wellington on 22nd December, and finally discharged the cargo and cleared the port on sth January, haring 'taken four months and fifteen days to bring 6000 tons oT coal to New Zealand. That coal must have cost tho Govern ment a very high price, for -wages alone in that period amounted to £2500. ... .. . ' • The Plume Minister, replying* said lie was .unable to supply .the inform <v tipn .at, present,, but he., knew, that eehijideiydbro expOfisfi had rpstuted from the delay oxpoTienchd., l!hey would not be able .toget all tlte (; Coal required. frym W/d§s. ; v jperßonally, ho did not Want,to. gp opteidpe the counter at all. for yoaL ahdjfidJooked forward te-tho.tihteyrheti, -Sheeragain, Ne\v Zealand wpuld supply/;' ali - its needs in this direction. Considerable improvement bad been shown of late.