THE COAL SHORTAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17595, 7 October 1920, Page 7

THE COAL SHORTAGE.

REMEDIES SUGGESTED. V CITY COUNCIL'S VIEWS. CONTROL. OF THE INDUSTRY. I . • • . —A- . CONSTITUTION OF BOARD URGED. , "She . report of the , special committee appointed at. the last meeting of the City Council to go into the matter of the present coal shortage and its effectjipon the community .was considered and adopted at a special meeting, of the council held yesterday. The report will he forwarded to the Government for consideration. I The report embodies ,a comprehensive review of the circumstances leading up to the present situation, and. the unceasing efforts of the City Council to make provision to meet the difficulties which have arisen from time to time during the last year. The council has been compelled to purchase at high prices considerable quantities of overseas coal' in order to ensure the running of the city services. It also i- deals in detail with the present difficulty, emphasising particularly the great need for bituminous coal for the process of gas manufacture. There was an abundance of this in the South Island, but an inadequate quantity was mined, and importations in increasing quantities had been necessary to meet the shortage. Had deliveries of brown or lignite coal been sufficient for Auckland industries, including the city electrical station and tramways, there would have been no necessity for these industries to absorb large quantities of bituminous coal, which it had been necessary to do for some time past. This rendered unavailable for the Gas Company's requirements sufficient bituminous' coal. Increased Production Necessary. As there were ample coal resources of both brown and lignite coals in the Dominion, as* well as large areas yet untouched of bituminous coals, it was imperative that production be speeded up and an. efficient system of distribution introduced. , The following comment and recommendations were made with a view to remedying present conditions and overcoming, for the future, the serious inconvenience and' heavy loss' imposed, not only upon the City Council, but upon the «whole of the community 'by -reason of the acute shortage of cos£. '\ (I) that the coal resources of the Do- ', nynion. are., considerable, , and without doubt sufficient to meet the country's requirements for generations hence, provided the industry, is developed ' sufficiently, and the coal rendered available, both for industries and for household purposes. Nc less a quantity than 455,494 tons of coal was -imported, last- year,, and , about 275,000 tons was exported, both import! and exports being almost- entirely bitumin ons' coal. The policy 'of heavy import* tions is - unsound, and should be super [ seded by increased local production.

*, I . .. . . -. ■ Hew Fields and Production. " v (2) That the Government be urged, to forthwith provide sufficient labour for the immediate 'adequate development of the Dominion's coal resources by methods at the disposal of - the Government, and either assist or initiate the opening up of new fields awaiting development in both Islands. In 1914, there were in New Zealand mines 4734 coalminers. 1n.,1919, there were only 3994. . i.,. .J....'- ... (3) That an efficient system of' distribution be introduced, whereby the present waste .of bituminous coal, so urgently needed for specific industries,', should be avoided; . and a sufficient quantity •of brown or lignite coal rendered -available, thus removing the necessity for, continued importations 'of overseas coal at high-costs and extreme freights. (4) That the Government be strongly urged to form a New Zealand Coal Board, to be' constituted in accordance with the needs of the industry, and vested with powers to secure an effective control of. and efficient, working in, the mines, the board to be empowered to appoint subsidiary boards . in < the producing censes to adjust local disputes, and generally carry out th». ■ policy of • the board. The board should introduce necessary amendments to the present practices, and.establish conditions in the industry, compatible with modern standards. -. , i 5 -..'.. Expedition of Hydro-Electric 'Schemes. (5) That in view of the serious position, ! and under the best' conditions the difficulties: of mining and costs of coals, 'the Government be specially • urged to expedite with the greatest speed the development of the principal hydro-electric power schemes, with the object of rendering the output of current available oyer wide areas. ■ • ! „ (6) That the Government be requested to introduce such legislation as will, as far as possible, free industries from the incessant interruptions from trivial causes as are now. in evidence throughout the Dominion. ..- ;£ The second point referred to the committee was contained in a motion submitted at the last council .meeting by Mr. T. Blood worth, urging the Government to give immediate effect to the recommendations contained in the Board of Trade's report on the coal industry ,(19.19) regarding housing, transport, and general social conditions in mining < townships. - In this connection the report states :— ' The Strikes' is the Waikato. The committee has endeavoured to show that Auckland is suffering, owing to coal shortage, much more acutely than any other part of the Dominion, and that it is entitled to . special consideration <at the hands of the Government. The committee also begs to report that the recent strike at the Waikato mines and the consequent shortage of coal at Auckland does not, in its opinion, arise from either conditions of housing, transport facilities, or the general social conditions at the Waikato mines; nor can the Waikato strike be reasonably held to relate to these interests in the mining townships of the South Island. The committee is of opinion that the conditions in regard to housing in the Waikato coalmining districts are not such as call for action in connection with the present stoppage. Whatever conditions exist in other mining centres of the Dominion, they cannot be soundly urged as a circumstance in connection with ! the recent strike at the Waikato mines.