RAILWAY COAL FREED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17380, 31 January 1920, Page 6

RAILWAY COAL FREED.

MEETING CITY'S URGENT NEED

2000 TONS FROM .KAIEOURA;

GAS COMPANY TO HAVE CARGO S [31 TEM»RAr 1 CORRESrONDKUT.I ; , WELLINGTON. Friday.. .The Prime : Minister made a ' statement tb-day regarding the coal_■ .position 1 in : Auckland, this beiug suggested to him by a question regarding } the * curtailment: of the tram , service in the city. y;. '.'."•

y Mr. i Massey ; said 'that the Government was releasing 2000 tons ' of railway coal from tha~Kaikoura, 'now .discharging-at. Auckland, and this coal would bo allocated by the Coal Trade Committee to the Auckland City Council and to others in need of, coal for essential, industries.' ' This, would be in : addition to 5000 tons of coal previously released for the freezing companies. "By the Whangape, 1 which should have commenced loading; at Newcastle today, 1800 tons, of : coal is coming, and this consignment will be for the Auckland Gas Company, to. meet its' urgent requirements. The Waipori, due at Auckland about February 8, will bring a full cargo of 2600 tons, " and a. ■ substantial portion of >this coal will'be released for essential industries. The Kaituna will bring 2563 tons, and she, should bo in Auckland today. ' This coal is commg from Westport. Mr. Massey said the coal position in Auckland was 'quite as good as in other centres.

SUPPLIES FOR DOMINION,

TOTAL OF 65,700 TONS.NOW IN SIGHT [BY TELEGRAPH'.—PBE3S ASSOCIATION.] ,'i WELLINGTON, Friday. Figures showing the quantity of coal available for New' Zealand from outside sources in the near, future were supplied by the Prime Minister to-day. "At the present timt," said Mr. Massey, "there are in New Zealand ports vessels discharging 9156 tons of coal, while afloat and en, route to New Zealand there are vessels carrying 16,587 tons.' Besides these, arrangements nave been made to load at different ports for New Zealand 40,000 tons of coal. These figures speak for. themselves, and indicate that the Government is doing everything possible to keep the railways and" industries 'of the country going. I hope that we shall be successful, and that -wo shall have the support of the public until the present deadlock comes to an end. '

DAIRY FACTORY SUPPLIES. .: NEW FIELD AT PUKEMIEO. [BY TELEORAPJI.— COBRBSPONDKN?.] HAMILTON, Friday. The New Zealand ' Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., has recently purchased a considerable area of coal-bearing country at Pukemiro, within l\ miles of the Puk'emiro railway station. The company is now taking immediate steps to develop the property, and expects to obtain sufficient coal to meet the requirements of its own factories and shareholders within, two years time. • The Government has already authorised the construction of ■ a line to the property, and the work has been recently put in hand. ...|'"> '• « .'. The company has carried out boring operations, and Judging by the results obtained the coalfield should be sufficiently extensive to keep the whole dairying industry of the South Auckland district supplied "for the next 100 years.