NEW ZEALAND COAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13750, 15 May 1908, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND COAL.

, DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY. Coxsidemko that New Zealand jfrodtices; good coal, and that she has plenty of it. the question arises (states the New Zealand Times) as to why it should be necessary for her to import some 206,000 tons a year, as she did in 1906-7, the last period for which the figures are available. In the first place it appears from the last report- oi' the Mines Department that the amount of coal raised in New Zealand in 1906-07 was 1,729,000 tons, an increase of 143,780 tons on the previous year. During the same period there was imported a total of 206,567 tons of Newcastle coal, this being an increase of 38.521 tons for the year. 111 the opinion of one gentleman closely in touch with the local coal market, the only cause for the continual importation of coal from outside is that the New Zealand mines, although working to their fullest capacity, are quite unable to keep up with the demand. The output has continued to increase steadily at the rate, of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand tons per year, and yet the demand keeps ahead. "It just comes to this,"' he declared, "that the demand is increasing faster than the supply." This was, considered to be due to the* growing difficulty of obtaining firewood and the necessity of burning coal in. its stead, as well as to .the expansion of ; the manufacturing industries of' the Do- ; minion. '"..... .

} A rather different view of the situation was taken '<y another •authority. To his' mind the continual importations 1 were due to the fact that Newcastle coal was very cheap, and could be imported much below New Zealand prices as well as being rather more suitable for some special purposes. The product- of the State mines, for instance, gave off a very fierce heat, and consequently was- responsible for burning out fire-boxes and bars. This quality might hardly seem to be a disadvantage at first blush, but owners objected to it 011 the ground of the expense thus entailed. In fact., the coal was frequently mixed with Newcastle in order to obviate the burningout process. The steaming qualities of Now Zealand coal were undoubted, but it had just one faultit was too good.