AN INTERESTING REPORT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14699, 6 December 1909, Page 8

AN INTERESTING REPORT.

Sir—l nm astonished that more notice lias not been taken by tho New Zealand press of the parliamentary report that was presented about threo weeks ago, giving a detailed account of the sale- of State coal •and the prices charged lo the purchasers, who are divided into four cln£se6: First, the New Zealand Kailway Department, which is charged 20s per ton; second, other Government departments, l&s per ton; third, depots, 17s 8d per ton; fourth, and hist, private consumers, lis 9d por ton. Thcso figures are tidcort from the Sydney Daily Telegraph of Wednesday, November 24, but I saw a much fuller statement in some New Zealand newspaper shortly after

the report was presented in Parliament. You will notice that there is a difference

of 8s 9d a ton between tho price chargod to the railways and that charged to private consumers. I presume that the prices stated above are for the coal when put into the ship's hold at Uroymouth wliarf. What I want to draw attention to is this: Is the Railway Department getting its coal at a fair price? 1 think not. Tho Wostport Coal Company supplies large quantities of coal to tho department. I would like to know what prioe the oompany supplies coal to the railways at Westio:t wharf. Wostport is a much better harbour than Groymouth, and is about 40 miles newer Wellington than the latter.

It is well known that a ton of Westport coal ia about equal to u ton and a-lalf of Point Elizabeth coal fcr steaming purposes, for tho latter is only lignite, but lignite of a very superior kind. Tlid railways and tho depots take about seven-tenths of tlio whole of the output from tho Point Elizabeth mino. The output from tho Seddonvillo mino is so small that it ia not worth taking into account. Besides, it has boon worked at a great joes since tho Government stinted operations there. If the railways weio supplied with coul at the name prioo us private consumers are, the loss on tire working of the two btato mines would be. so great tha»t it ia absolutely oartain tint lbs Government would be compelled, even by its own supporters, to -rive up the whole business. At ssveril of tho depots coal was sold at las than coat price-notably in Dunedin, where there was a loss of several hundred pounds fhe statement of accounts as pressed in the Sydney newspapers is evidently causing jnuoh amusement there.—l ;un etc., ' Dccombor 2. Alex Ktus.