CONSIGNMENTS OF COAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14984, 11 August 1919, Page 7

CONSIGNMENTS OF COAL.

SHIPMENTS IN SIGHT.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, kst night. The Hon. A. M. Mytirs gave details of the ooal shipments now m sight. Three weeks ago he enumerated thoS ships arranged to bring 45,000 tons of! Australian and 26,000 tons of American' coal. Some of these have arrived and< been discharged. Unfortunately there were several cases- m which labor difficulties hampered the carrying out of tho proposed shipments. One of these, tho Waitomo, arrangements for which, were made to bring across .from Newcasue DbUO tons of coal, 4500 being for the Railway Department, was compelled to lay up m Dunedin owing to the inability to get a crew to take her across to Australia. This represents a big loss to the supplies of coal available m the! Dominion, as the subsequent trips of the vessel would have meant an addition of cargoes of equal quantity. The coalj carrier Ngakuta could also have' 1 been steadily engaged m the Newcastle trade if it had been possible to get her crew to take her to Australia. Again, another case m point is that of the Inga, which has been lying at Wanganui for some time now with a quantity of coal still on board. It is true that the waterside workers have taken off 200 tons of this cargo to enable the Wanganui Gas Company to keep going, but they have so far lefused to handle the remaining 900 tons. The Waipori has been laid up two months at Newcastle fully loaded with coal (6500 tons) owing to her inability to get a crefy. The Rakanoa is another vessel that would be employed on the Newcastle run were it possible to obtain a crew. Tho English Shipping Controller was approached with a view to endeavoring to arrange for all tonnage to bring supplies of coal both from America and Australia en route, to New Zealand, but he could not assist "ns no tonnage remaining under requisition was available for bringing coal from America and Australia to New Zealand, and m the present circumstances it was not possible to requisition! tonnage specially for this purpose." j Notwithstanding the difficulties, saitTl Mr Myers, every effort is being made to secure all available space for the carriage of cpal to New Zealand. Detailed information is given below of shipments at present actually m sight: — From Newcastle : Union Steamship Go's vessels — Wanaka, approximate duo' date of arrival ' (m port), 5200 tons;' Kaituna, Aug. 14. 2600 tons ; Waipori, Aug. 16, 2700 tons; Wanaka, Aug. 27, ;32Q0. .tonss .J^ajoiayftM^ugi-J^^flOGO - tons. ■ Overseas vessels: Otira, Aug. 12, 7250 ; ! E. M. Stirlingy Aug. 12, 4000; Waiwera, Aug. 20, 900; Essex, Aug. 9 j 300Q; Durham, AugY 17, 3000; Port Victor, Aug. 20, 3000; Zealandic, Aw. 18-20, 2000; total 39,000 ..tons. Fr-om America— Mamari, Aug. 18, 4685 ; Tropic, Aug. 20, 6000 ; Kumara, Sept 8, 5000; City of Winchester, Sept. 9,---3000; Westmeath, Aug. 24, 4286; Masula; Aug. 30. 4966; total 27,9337 Grand total 67,187 tons.

In. addition to tho above fixtures the following steamers which are at present engaged m New Zealand or on tho coast will be despatched to Newcostlo when the maritime strike ia concluded ?• Katoa, JCqrpmlko, Kaitangata. Kaiapoi Waitomo, and Rakanoa.. Of the quaiu tity at present m sight from overseas the allocations to railways at present are 69,687 tons, r