COAL SUPPLIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23113, 11 August 1938, Page 11

COAL SUPPLIES

CONSERVATION NEEDED SURVEY OF RESOURCES ACTION TO PREVENT WASTE COMMENTS BY MINISTER ("BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The importance of conserving the Dominion's coal resources is emphasised by the Minister of Mines, the Hqii. P. C. Webb, in the annual Mine 3 Statement, presented in the House of llepresentatives to-day. "Since I took office I am pleased to say that the problem of wastage of slack coal has undergone a complete transformation," the Minister says. "In both the Waikato and Southland districts, where the position was most acute, the coal-mining companies, in response to my personal appeals, have entered into voluntary arrangements for controlling the sizes of screens. I wish to express to the companies my appreciation of their co-operation. Recent geological reports as to the limited extent of the coal resources of the country serve to strengthen my conviction and resolve that, so long as 1. remain in office, everything reasonably possible must he done to conserve those resources. "My department continues to keep in intimate touch with the latest developments abroad in hydrogenat ion and other processes for the extraction of oil from coal. "Further work has been undertaken on the survey of our coal resources," Mr. Webb continues. "The past year's operations have been mainly devoted to the Greymouth field, but the Geological Survey Department, which is controlled by the Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research, reports a serious shortage of suitable officers in New Zealand for such work. The investigations which have so far been made seem to indicate that the reserves of bituminous coal which can be economically worked are less than previously estimated. "The recent decision of the Government to establish an iron and steel industry makes the early completion of the survey of our bituminous fields a matter of imperative importance."