RAILWAY COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17277, 29 September 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY COMMISSION.

MR. McVILLY'S EVIDENCE.

COAL UNPROCURABLE.

AN INADEQUATE RESERVE.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON. Saturday.

The Railway Commission resumed its sittings to-day. Mr. J. Maxwell presided.

In his evidence B. W. McVilly, General Manager of Railways, said there were great fluctuations in the output per man in the coal mines. That was why his Department created a reserve stock. The position was that the chief mechanical engineer reported what the requirements of the year would be. He considered the Department should have a reserve of not less than 80,000 tons of coal. What it aimed at was 100,000 tons.

The chairman referred to the reports of the General Manager in recent years, which stated that the stock of coal had become perilously low. Witness said in reply that instructions were that the stock was to be kept up. The Coal Committee was informed on many occasions that the coal reserve had reached a dangerous point. The committee took coal from the railways and devoted it to other purposes under tha rationing system without the consent or knowledge of the Railway DepartmentHe believed that the General Manager, in the face of the dangerous position in 1918, urged that an effort be made to get vessels coming from Home or other parts to bring out coal. The question of Tories was a secondary consideration. When the position became acute Mr. Hiley, late General Manager, left no stone unturned to get a supply of coal. The Railway Department had complained about railway coal being taken for ships on their return journey to England. Witness suggested that vessels from Home should 120 to Newcastle for the return journey instead of taking coal from New Zealand. He believed that offers of cargoes of coal at an exorbitant rate had been refused. In one case an offer meant that coal from Newcastle would have cost £6 a ton, as against the current prices of £1 a ton. The Munitions Department agreed with the refusal of the offer.