COAL POSITION OF DOMINION

Southland Times, Issue 25547, 15 December 1944, Page 3

COAL POSITION OF DOMINION

MR WEBB EXPECTS IMPROVEMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 14. A statement on the coal position in New Zealand was made in the House of Representatives today by the Minister of Mines, Mr'Webb. He said the Mines Department estimated that the coal output for the Dominion during 1944 would be at least 20,000 tons higher than last year, thus setting a new record for New Zealand.

The total production in 1943 was 2,787,868 tons and, although production this year had lagged badly in the early part of the year, it had subsequently accelerated rapidly, said Mr Webb. There were now reasons to believe that the peak of the country’s coal trouble had passed and that the position would be much improved in the coming year, but until reasonable stocks of bituminous coal could be built up in the North Island there would always be concern because of the uncertainty of conditions at the river ports of Westport and Greymouth. OPEN CAST MINING Open cast mining had contributed 120,000 tons to the year’s total, said Mr Webb. Although adverse weather had reduced the output from these mines the output was now 1500 tons a day and three more open cast mines would be opened before Christmas and it was expected that the output would rise to 2000 tons a day. The Mines Department was confident that there would be sufficient coal available during the holiday period for gasworks and industrial purposes. The Railways Department had 38,200 tons in stock and should be able to obtain a further 12,000 tons from the current output, plus a contribution from open cast mining.