STATE COLLIERIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17066, 26 July 1917, Page 5

STATE COLLIERIES

THE YEAR'S OPERATIONS.

(Feom Oub Own Coheespondent.) mi fjf. WELLINGTON, July 25. , ¥ 1^ es rt ' wJu ch was laid on the table of the House to-day, states that the output from the State collieries during 1916 was 277,845 tons, of which 140,917 tons was produced from the Point Elizabeth colliery, and 136,928 tons from the Liverpool colliery. The output from the two collieries exceeded that of the previous year by 39,645 tons. The State coal business during the year ended on March 31 resulted in a profit of £18,521 5s 9d, as compared with a profit of £2515 during the previous year. The average price raised ;° r State coal durmg the 12 months was oa j par *° n ' as conjpared with 16s 8.71 d per ton for the preceding year. The Point Elizabeth colliery will probably be worked out within the next 12 months, and thereafter considerable difficulty will be experienced in supplying coal to meet the demand, especially for railway and household requirements. Investigations have been made during the past 18 months with a view to discovering a locality where a new State mine could bo successfully established, but the reports obtained were not sufficiently encouraging to enable any decided opinion as to the odvisibility of embarking on a new colliery to be formed.