STATE AS COAL-MINER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5668, 16 August 1905, Page 3

STATE AS COAL-MINER.

M AXA GKMKXT OF THE COVF.RXMEXT MIXES. QUALITY OF TUB COAL. TSO.UID OF INQUIRY Sim NO IX AYKLLIX GTOX. INTERESTING EVIDENCE. Tho Board of Inquiry sot up hy fho Govoruinont to inquire into ami report, on rriatL’i’s connoote'i v.’iUi tin.’ S'.'l'lonvillo SUito cfnil-riiino—Messrs Joltn H. (Inspectin'; Knpini’cr to tlio Minos Department), Edwin R, Green (InS|K'Ctur of .Minos, Otago), James I‘ontts (I nspcolor ol Alines, Anrklnn'l), imil J. It. Fox (Locomotive I'ingineei', Kov Zonlan'l Rail ;va vs; —con JMI fn (<:•<{ its MVllintfUm sittings in tho Custom-. yesterday morningchairman (AH Hayes) announced, before proceeding.-* com monced, 1 hut the scope iff the- inquiry bad been ■enlarged to inHudo the Point Elizabeth mine. A. L. Beattie, Chief Alreiianieal hipinner of Government Railways, said he bad obtained reports from officers in practically all the districts using Point Elizabeth coal. Wit'll Iho reports he From careful observation, lie was of opinion Point Elizabeth coa! was lighter than oilier AVest Coast coals. The experience I hey had with Point Eliza hot-li coal showed that the con.-aimotion ivas one-fourth more than «c r ecned Brunner. He was speaking or unscreened Point Elizabeth. l‘or railway purposes it was most desirable that I. ho coal should hr* free from ‘’slack.’’ if they had screened Point Elizabeth nml screened Brunner, the consumption of the former would he 10 to 1- per cent, higher than Hie latter, lie would like it to lie placed on record that Hie duality and size of the Point Elizabeth foul now being sunnlied was not nearly ms good ns it was six months ago. They were getting more “slack,” and the consumption per mile was accordingly going no. Seddonvillo coal ndxed with Point Elizabeth coal would make a very ’j.itisfaotory locomotive fuel if it could bo procured. [Tho reports referred to Were principally an amplification of Hieso statements.] In a.uswer to questions by Mr Fox, witness said c.nrnplainl,s had been made n Hoi it tho coal. When exposed to the weather, Point Elizabeth coal crumbled, it was not suitable for smith-work in the workshops. Seddonvillo coal was. Ho spoke of the accumulation of waste in tho coal-boxes of locomotives on account of using unscreened coal. Point Elizabeth coal was not suitable for heavy work on the railways. To Mr Green: The Point Elizabeth voal had fallen off in quality very much quite recently. It contained as much as GO to 7."» per cent. “ slack.” Ho would like (o emphatically state that from an elliciene.y and economical point of view it was a distinct mistake to burn ns locomotive fuel for heavy work unscreened coal.

Air Green: That, of course, brhigs us back to the question of price.

Witness: Vos. Mr Green; If it was screened and Sent to yon. could yon then afford to nay an enhanced price? Witness: Vos, and save money at it, providing always that tho enhanced price was a reason;: hie ouo. -Mr Green: How ranch more could you afford to pay? Witness; I am just having a series of experiments made in Canterbury .vind elsewhere, and I expect to bo in possession of full information this week. The particulars will bo available for the Commission.

William Scott, railway running-shed foreman, Wellington, said ho had found "that good results had been obtained with the better class of Point Elizabeth coal. Used by itself 25 per cent, more Point Elizabeth cad than Brunner was consumed per train niilo. The remainder of witness's evidence was in the main confirmatory of that given by the Chief Mechanical Engineer, In reply to Mr Green, witness stated that his chief complaint against Point Elizabeth coal Was tho nodno percentage of “ slack.” Alexander Macdongali, managing agent for the State mines in Wellington, was called to give information as to the distribution of the coal, particularly in regard to the Point Elizabeth mine. The total output -from the Point Elizabeth mi no from April Ist, 1901. to Juno 30th. 1905, was 113,611 tons The demand for Point Elizabeth coal had been greater than tho supply ever since tho mine was started. The chairman; Well, if that is so, how is it that the mine is not working anything like full time? Witness: I cannot say: all I can say is that tho orders have been more than the supply. The chairman; Would it bo attributable in any way to the shipping facilities offering?

Witness; That might have something to do with it. Last week we had orders in hand for 5000 tons, 2200 tons of this being orders which could not bo zupplied tho previous week. Tho coal went principally to the Government railways.

Speaking of household coal, he said the people liked tho new screened article very much. The market could be /extended, but they had not coal to supply existing demands. It was absolutory necessary that coal for household purposes should be screened.

Mr Fox next asked if it was true tho Onion Company had gone back on its agreement to take bunker coal.

Witness: No. For a time did it not refuse to taka any?—No; on one occasion it threw some back on my hands because the coal was of an inferior quality. Witness went on to say that the arrangement for distributing the coal from the ship’s side was simply a makeshift, lliere was no difficulty in getting carts where a lot of coal was purchased—it Was the small purchaser who had a difficulty in obtaining cartage. In places like Newtown it cost as much as VOs per ton to have coal delivered.

Witness gave particulars of the quantity of slack coal annually disposed of to the Electrical Syndicate, Wellington, the Gear and other companies, lliere was only a limited market in Wellington for slock coal. It would he Impracticable to have the coni screened and bagged at the mine. It would mean increased cost for railway haulage and many other things. He had recommended officially the establishment of depots in the cities to place the coal within easier roach of householders. Mr Green: Did that include delivery? .—No; but it might bo considered. Were you aware the men were workVug slack time at the mines?—No. Then you have not been pushing the sale of the coal ?—No; we had not sufficient for existing demands. The output is short by 40,000 tons per annum, ft was possible the failure to supply orders from the Groymouth mine was in «, measure due to the Groymouth liarhour. Mr Green: You do not know how

much you have lost in the sales yon were unable to supply. Witness: No: J have not been pushing the sab*, because the orders could not U* Mipp'h-d. ile had considered it part of hi>. duly to inquire why tin* eiders were not being supplied. Ihe man* agement and mine arrangements would he teller a*- time went on. iH Ha! complained lo Air Pi-hop Genera) min •' manager) about: the delays in supply.m: railway orders, . r Air Green: Ifow did you complain f By telegram and letters? —fly telegram chiefly. Proceeding, witness said Poin- Elizabeth coal had been sob] to dealers w!io were agents for oilier coal. Ah* Green said I lie point fie wauled try get at. tvas this; Would dealers buy State coal and sell it as home other coal ? Y’itness said lie knew of a dealer bavin-' purchased Slate coal and subsequent iv informing oMomers that he did not sell State coal. This kind of thing might occur io a very serious extent. .\ir Green was proceeding with. Jus ; examination when witness objected io hi-, interrogat or’s ‘'unplea-aiH ’ style. AH- Green ‘ said he was sorry if Ids questions were unpleasant; he had no intention of being discourteous. - “Von have taken it upon yourself to say you will not .-(-11 State coal to certain dealers?” queried Air Green. "I have authority for so doing,” an--awred witness, 110 could not say whether the Point Elizabeth mine was a financial success—it oi igii t to 1)0. AVituos> i-.ii'l .Mr Bishop Iwici comploto control of matters at Greymouth —sluppiiif;, etc.—and lie had nothing to do with it. .Mr Croon wanted to know where the lino of demarcation was between tho Coast, munaocinent and the management at Wclhnujon (or the sale and distribution of the coal. ‘witness replied that lie laid sent orders. and they had not been lulhllcd. That was all he eon Id say on the question of production. Replvinp; to .Mr Coutts, ho said no disag. cement had taken place between himself and Air Bishop, lie explained at length hmv lie despatched orders to Air Bishop, who was responsible for their lullilmcnt. Air Green asked witness if lie could say how many tons were in arrears on An-nst 7th and Bth, ami received a negative reply. Air Coutts: That is strange, after what Air Bishop told us. Tho chairman: Air .Bishop said the decreased demand for tire coal was owing lo the railways being overstocked. Mr Green commented on the lact that while Air Alacdougall said the delivery of about 2200 tons of coal was in arrears of orders last week, tho Board of Inquiry at that moment was at tho Point Elizabeth mine, and tho men were practicably idle. Witness said lie was not aware of any appreciable slackness of employment of miners. The chairman: AVc saw tho pits idle, and the bins full of coal. Witness quoted from letters sent to Mr Bishop, advising him in detail ot orders outstanding during July. IH S statements were borne out by letters from tho Chief Mechanical Engineer tor Railways. Witness had suggested to the Minister for Alines tho aclvisab cness of having the hulk Coromandel fitted up lor the storage of household coal, so that it could bo brought up to tho wharf a couplo of times per nock, and tho coal could bo distributed m bags. Air Bishop was called to AAcllington specialty to adviso on tho question, and stated that ho could not seo his way to meet tho demands, consequent on such a suggestion being put into cifect. Air Green asked if he would call upon witness to produce tho authority instructing him not to sell State coal to dealers acting as agents for other mines. . .

Witness; I don’t wish this information to b© made public, but I xvill show the authority to tho chairman. (Tho chairman examined a document which was handed to him by witness.) Mr Green thought the Board should bo given an opportunity of inquiring into this matter but witness said he diet not wish to go into tho subject. Tho reason tho authority was given was partly because it might arrest any corrupt practices being attempted, and partly because there was no coal to spare. Mr Green: 'What is the date of tho authority?—Witness; August Ath. What did you do before that —what was your practice? Did you supply these people with coal? —They did not ask for it.

Could the names of the people mentioned in the authority be given?— Witness, after some hesitation, said the Greymouth and Point Elizabeth Coal Company was one firm, and there were two or three sub-agents for New South Wales mines.

Mr Green then sought to show by a long scries of questions that an agent for "a particular colliery in Dunedin retailed State coal. ' E. Pilcher, manager of tho Greymonth and Point Elizabeth Coa.l Company, said ho had previously wired to tho Commission, saying ho had been refused State coal. About thiee months ago his company opened a retail yard in tho centre of the city. After the yard had been opened a month or so, some inquiries were made for State coal, which tho company had not stocked. The manager of tho Point Elizabeth mine (Mr Allison) happened to be in Wellington at the time, and ho (witness) as,ked to have twenty tons of unscreened Point Elizabeth coal, sent with his nest weekly shipment. The coal '‘screened out” about 50 per cent, of -‘slack.” and tho screened article was sold to thoso who asked for it. Iho company advertised that the coal vvas kept. Some customers had complained that tho Point Elizabeth coal burned too quickly. It was a common practice in the trade to mix Newcastle and Coalbrookdale coal for this very reason. As ho did not desire to deal in Newcastle, ho offered to supply customers (who wanted it) with a mixture of 11 runner and Point Elizabeth coal. The mixture had given satisfaction, and if continued, would probably lead to a larger consumption of Point Elizabeth coal. Witness had about three shipments of Point Elizabeth coal, of twenty tons each, despatched from Greymouth under these conditions. Ho was not aware that any exception could bo taken to such a practice. Towards tho cud of July witness’s outdoor manager ordered six tons of Soddonvillo coal for tho yard. They got two tons. Tho coal was of good quality, though it required a second screening. He thought lie would get some Soddonvillo next week, and wired Mr Bishop, asking him to quote prices for screened coal at Greymouth, f.0.h., in 200-ton lots. Ho received a re ply ; “Screened Scddonvillc 15s f.0.h., Westport small 7s Gd.” He advised Mr Bishop to ship the order by tho Kini. A reply was received, saying; “Sorry cannot.'execute order this week; trucks not available.—Bishop.” Later orders were ignored, and repeated inquiries at tho office of tlio managing agent at tho time failed to elicit any satisfaction.

Afterward*. a lot tor was received from the manngiiig agent, .stating ho could not s.w hi- way lo deliver any coal, as h** had order- : n '*xee-.s of supply, and. innreevrv. he did no 4 , see why ),e should surqdv (lie agent-, of other colliere*with Sra’-i eo ;i !. a- it. might inadvertently get mixed. Thu chairman : ••Inadvertently?' AVilne.-.-; “'I hat’s hU word.” Havin'.: a.-rerta.in i *d that tdmro was coal on hand. v.ltiu-ss replied to Mr Alacdoug.d) Hia.t -his was an evasion, and that Ins suggestion, that the coal might “inadvertently get mixed,” was an ilnporiincnce ami an illustration of his business irei hods, AVitness communicated with the Alini.-ler for Alines and the Premier, prote:- ling, and asking for ih ■ fullest inquiry. AVitness interviewed the Minister for Alines, and learnt ihaf he had received n report about -100 tons having been sunnlied to witness, which was quite inaccurate. At no time had he had mure than two tons of Seddonville coal, dim Alinisler appeared to regard tho mixing of coal as a cr.’tninal offence—something like mixing s'in d and sugar, or whisky and water. The coal, witness explained, was only mixed at the request of customers. He (the Minister) said he teas not going to let any competing company have State coal, but stated that nothing would bo done until after the Commission had reported, lie contended that if he. as a dealer, was going to he refused State coal, other dealers should he similarly treated. It was evident the Alinisler had come to a decision upon incorrect information. Ho alleged that two of the principal agents in the city for New South Wales coal had been supplied with Sedclouville. The chairman; Could you give any rea.son .why Hie except ion has boon made in vour case? —AAhtness:.! dare say I could, but it would probably have a personal boa,ring, and I don’t want to bring personalities into tho discussion. He had ordered through the Greymouth ollices, but this was not the outcome of a desire to evade Air Alacdougall. Brunner coal was just as good as the State article, though it was a little heavier. It was absolutely untrue that Brunner coal had been sold as State coal.

.Robert A. Gillespie, outdoor manager for the Greymouth and Point Elizabeth Coal Company, substantiated the statements of the last witness.

The Commission adjourned at 5 p.m until 10 a.m. to-day.