NEW SOUTH WALES COAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18324, 14 February 1923, Page 11

NEW SOUTH WALES COAL.

PAST YEAR'S OUTPUT. A DECREASE RECORDED. A huge production of coal was achieved by the coal industry of New South Wales last year, and but for unfavourable industrial conditions, it is considered that the output would have exceeded all previous records. Actually, however, the amount of coal raised was 10,183,133 tons, and brought the total production of the State to date up to 277,657,052 tons, which has added to the wealth of New South Wales no less than £123,453,955. Only in lour previous years has the output of coal exceeded the ten million tons, these being 1913. 1914, 1920, and 1921. In 1921 a record was achieved, 10,793,387 tons being raised. The decrease shown last year on the production for 1921 amounted to 610,254 tons, and the chief falling-off was in the Northern districts. Of.the total production, 7,156,000 tons came from the northern fields, or 336,021 tons less than in 1921. Although during the year there was no general stoppage of the industry, all collieries on the South Coast, with the exception of Wongawilli, were closed down for a little over a fortnight during October, due to allegations by miners representatives of deficient lighting. Numerous small stoppages occurred in the Northern and Southern districts over industrial matters, and affected production. In the Southern district the output fell off since 1922 by 184,664 tons to 1,878,594 tons, and in the Western district the production of 1.147,618 tons represented a decline of 89,809 tons. The value of the output for last year at the pits' mouths amounted to £8,507,986,' or a reduction of £576,442 isince 1921. Very dull! trade has been reported in the coke industry for 1922. No coke was made in the Western district, and in the Northern and Southern districts substantial reductions occurred in production. Here, again, the closing down of the Newcastle Steel Works had a far-reaching effect, and owing to high costs of product tion export trade declined, so that production fell over 50 per cent. Last year's output of coke amounted to only 240,229 tons, valued at £382,926, compared with 692,097 tons, valued at £1,029,694 f - in 1921. - " '":■'