COAL TRANSPORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24879, 28 April 1944, Page 2

COAL TRANSPORT

SEA AND /{AIL CAPACITY NEED FOR EXPANSION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday A statement that he had found the transport capacity for carting coal away from the West Coast by sea and by rail to be fast reaching its maximum was made by the Minister of -Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb to-mght, following his return to Wellington after addressing meetings in various mining towns on the coast, as well as one attended bv Westport waterside workers. The Minister said he was confident there would be more coal available in future on the West Coast than couk be shifted., A conference was to be held between representatives of the Railway, Transport and Mines Departments to ascertain the possibility- of obtaining greater 'transport facilities. Mr Webb said that at meetings be had addressed he had urged men under no consideration to slacken up in the war effort, He was confident that it the necessary transport facilities could be arranged they might well expect,_ with the additional aid of open-east mining, which was developing rapidly, a big increase in coal production. Open-cast ruining was reaching quite large dimensions in the Xortli Island and, in spite of many difficulties, he anticipated a substantial increase in coal production. The Minister said he would be inspect- ; ing some of the open-cast mines at the coining week-end and on Monday would attend a meeting of the Waikato Mines Control Board in Auckland.