STATE COAL MIKES.

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2684, 23 August 1905, Page 25

STATE COAL MIKES.

THE COMMISSION IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, August 15. The board of inquiry set up by the Go- i vernment to inquire into and report on ' matters connected with the Seddonville and Point Elizabeth State coal mines commenced its Wellington sittings to-day. A L. Peattie, chief mechanical engineer on the Government railways, said the department's experience with Point Elizabeth coal showed that the consumption was onefourth more than screened Brunner for raihvay purposes. It was most desirable that the coal should be free from " slack." If they had screened Point Elizabeth and screened Brunner, the consumption of tha former would be 10 to 12 per cent, higher than the latter. He would like it to l.c placed < on record that the quality and size of Point Elizabeth coal now being supplied was not nearly as good as it was six months ago. Seddonville ooal mixed with Point Elizabeth coal would make very satisfactory locomotive fuel if it could be procured. Alex. M'Dougall, managing agent for the State mines in Wellington, was called to give information as to the distribution of coal, particularly in regard to the Point j Elizabeth mine. The total output from the ' Point Elizabeth mine from April 1, 1904, until June 30, 1905, was 11,26* tons. The demand for Point Elizabeth ooal had been greater than the supply ever since the iirue was started. : The Chairman : Well, if that is so, how i» it that the mine is not working anything like full time? Witness : I cannot say. All I can say is that the orders have been more than the supply. Mr Green wanted to know where the line of demarcation came between Coast management and management at Wellington for the sale and distribution of the coal. Witness replied that he had sent orders, and they had not been fulfilled. That was all he could say on the question of production. No disagreement had taken place between himself and Mr Bishop. He explained at length how he despatched orders , to Air Bishop who responsible for j their fulfilment. I Mr Green asked witness if he could say \ how many tons were in arrears on August 7 and August 8, and received a negative reply. ! Mr Coutts : That is strange after what Mr Bishop told us. The Chairman : Mr Bishop said the decreased demand for coal was owing to the railways being overstocked. Mr Green commented on the fact that while Mr M'Dougall said the delivery of about 2200 tons of coal was in arrears of orders last week, evidence was given thai retail dealers had been refused supplies of j

State coal on the ground that it might bo mixed with other ooal. The witness, speaking on this subject, said ifc was a common thing to mix different kinds of coal, and was only done on the request of customers. The Minister of Mines, however, seemed to think it was a criminal offence, like mixing sand and sugar. August 16. To-day's sitting of the Coal Mines Board of Inquiry was taken up with hearing evidence concerning the retail distribution and the mixing for household purposes of various kinds of coal. Alexander M'Dougall, agent for the Statemines in Wellington, recalled, stated that he did not know that as a general rulo customers wanted coal mixed. At anyrate, he would say that the Government, did nofc want State coal mixed with any other kind. He would not advise the State to sell its coal for mixing purposes to Mr Green. He had noth : ng to say if the chief mechanical , engineer said that the best results were obtained by mixing State coal. He objected to supplying State coal for mixingwhen he could not get enough of it to supply those who wanted only State coal. The evidence submitted to the commission, as to the mixing of coal was not untruthful, but mixing was not general. The stoppage o c the Scddonville mine was simply due to the fact that they were not prockicing the coal suitable for consumers. Tnere was a. loss of from 5s to 7s per ton. This Avas veryserious. Witness quoted figures showing that there were practically continuous arrears in orders for railway coal since last April. At the present date there were 3285 tons in arrear. There were 2100 toas or fresh orders in addition to 1000 tons on order for private people. It was no good witness pushing private orders whilst the mines were so much in arrear in supplyingthe State railways. The present system oi" working the State mines was rotten, and! until the Mines Department took them m -hand there would be no improvement. By having the head office in Wellington matters would be greatly improved. The office expenses were very heavy under the present system, and could be reduced. The cost of pi-oducing State coal was Is per ton more than the cost of Droducing other coals. Duncan Campbell, chief clerk to the managing agent, stated that the system of bookkeepfng in connection with the State coal mines frequently created great delay in the matter of adjustments as between Wellington and Greymouth. The whole system now was cumbersome and unbusinesslike. It would be better if the Gre£mouth office, so far as bookkeeping was concerned, were shifted to the Mines Department In Wellington.