HOUSEHOLD COAL SUPPLIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 5 December 1940, Page 2

HOUSEHOLD COAL SUPPLIES

WAIKATO COLLIERIES t [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter] 1 WELLINGTON. This Day. j A denial that the Mining Controller j j had issued any requisition requiring 1 Waikato colliery owners to increase the [! supply of kitchen coal to railways was . 11 given by the Minister of Mines (Mr Webb) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, when replying to . an urgent question asked by Mr W. S. ■ Goosman (National, Waikato). The Min- 1 ister also said that it was incorrect that 1 the collieries had been instructed to cut ■ out all kitchen and house coal for do- j ■ mestic use. There had been a re-allocation of the I quantities to be supplied by individual j mines so as to relieve Glen Afton colliery of its quota, thereby enabling this colliery, which had the facilities , to j , crush coal. This step had been taken with the full approval of the Waikato colliery owners to ensure satisfactory stocks of slack coal for dairy factories, : freezing works, and other essential I users over the holiday period. House coal had not been interfered with in any way. Railways would con- | tinue to receive 4.000 tons of kitchen ; coal weekly, the same as during the winter months. Approximately 750 , tons of kitchen coal weekly would be diverted from domestic use between , now and Christmas for crushing to ] slack, but in view of the greatly dimin-1 ishcd domestic trade at this time of the year and of the increased output from the collieries, it was unlikely that consumers would be affected in any way. The position, the Minister added, was r to be reviewed in the New Year.