THE COAL SUPPLY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1641, 19 May 1919, Page 6

THE COAL SUPPLY.

A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald (Minister of Mines), who returned . from a visit to the Arthur's Pass Tunnel and West Coast, and went on to Wellington on Saturday night, ™js asked by a Son representative what the prospects were in regard io the supply of coal. Mr Mac Donald said that it -had to be remembered that 470 miners had been away at the front, incloding u- i. from the Sla,e mu «*, a fact winch must, of course, have a bearing on the output Many of these, he hoped would take up coal-mining again on their return to the country. The position would not be helped, however, by the opening up of new ieoal mines, unless they could get the men to staff them. There waa plenty of coal in New Zealand. Inelusive of the Morgan Seam, there was 50 years' work in sight at the .Liverpool Mine, and he was putting I a proposition before Cabinet for the jopeningupof a new mine near Point " hhzabeth. Three miles of railway would have to be constructed lb get access to the site, which was nine miles from Greymontb, The coal was not bituminous, but was of a very fine household type. Mr MacDonald added that the old Point jElizabeth mine, which was' now nearly worked out, had, nevertheless, endured two and a-half years' longer than was expected, and bad rendered good service to the people of the Dominion. In replyTo a further question, Mr Mac Donald said that he had not succeeded in getting miners from Australia, though an effort in that direction had been made. Owing to the fall in the price of copper, the Lobar copper mines had been closed down, and 5000 men had been thrown out of employment. The matter had been discussed with the Australian Government, and it had intimated that it had no objection to the men coming to New Zealand. The men were reluctant to come, however, owing to the fact that the Lobar mines were expected to reopen. .

The Minister explained thai, owing to the freezing worts being storked with meat that had not been got away, they required coal to : keep them going, and were using much more than was usual at this season. Replying to a further question, the Minister said that he did not know of any mine that could be opened up in time to be of anv use to the consumers during tbe winter months. It would take at least two years to complete the railway and other works necessary in connection with the proposed new mine between Runanga and Point Elizabeth. Mr Mat-Donald was induced. ab,o, on the journey across bv train to make a few guarded remarks concerning the fate of the Coal Commission report. The work or the commission, he explained, bad been hung up for fully two raonJhs Jjy the influenza epidemic, hnl w* now definitely completed, and the report would appear soon in book-form. The commission had made an exhaustive inquiry into the conditions oMhe coal industry from the time the coal came from the pit till it reached the consumer, tbe wages paid, the general business of mineowners, the bousing conditions of the miners, and manv other matters, , comprising .a very wide field. As the findings had not yet been submitted to Cabinet, the Minister was hot free to summarise them, but it would be found, he said, when the book appeared, that people would have a better Idea of the difficulties of industry'. He was sure, too, that it would contain information of interest to consumers. "But how far the improvement! suggested can be given effect to, 1 do not know," said Mr Mac Donald, rather ruefully, in conclusion.

waste and peeling would two penee per lb. to the ronsnmtr. It it natural, and will be a fact, that if prices rise, that there will be a stupros this season that will never be consumed, as the working classes will not be able to buy them. Double the price and you halve the consumption. Is the grower receives £5 15/- off the fork a»4 has a good, or even fair yield, he is doing better than lie has done tot yean past, and is making good money. All this agitation is being made by speculators who thought to chip to Australia and are now temporarily overstocked, as they have been forced to take, deliveries of their purchases of which the bulk have gone !o Wellington, consequently the Wellingtioa market is glutted. As stated before, the grower will not accept £5 15/-, and he is not relying on being able to export to Australia. He is relying on good prices being obtainable in the Baminjon daring Jury, August and September. Take the embargo off, and the grower will positively not sell at any price, with the reso.it, that prices will immediately soar very high, and halve the eo»Miitijdioi). Sydney quotations are tor Tasmarian potatoes, but Melbourne potatoes are only worth £lO to £ll*ia Sydney, while any from K»w Zealand at the present moment would not realise over £9 to £lO per ton. This wcnld leave an actual loss, based open the present prices ruling in New Zealand. In summing up the situation; to lift ita embargo would cause shipments to bft made to Australia, which would leav* less. The moral effect would be to advance the price to farmers at the least £1 a tun. Consumption would be much curtailed. Shipments to Australia would cease and consequently a portion of this year's output mijfht not be consumed. I therefore claim that it would be moist unwise to remove the embargo. Thanking you for your valuable space. I am, etc., ANOTHER MERCHANT. 1 Definite advices are that not only IVtllington, but the Aorkland and PjilnvTsHm North market*, lire over-supplied with potatoes at present. It is quite obvious that the "glut" in the North Island it fairly considerable. The arrival of the M'aimarino in Auckland caused the ex store prices quoted above to ease back considerably. On May 16 Auckland merchant! *ere prepared to -do business here only at prices equal to SS V- f.'i.b.. si. As from this there would have to 1* deducted 17/ C Ut cover sacks, railage, etc- it will be seen that this price is reduced to C 7,6. Tb# result of the northern position hat been to cause the market to ease back bere. so that the attitude of 'he farmer to bold his stick in anticipation that prices will again become steady Is quite understandable. It will be noted that the writers of the above disagree on the attitude or growers regardlng the holding back of supplies. Amongst merchants, it will be admitted, there 1* » difference of opinion regarding the advisability of lifting the embargo. Naturally these who have "ovrrsdJd** and <1« nut desire to cover their transaction* «m a ris'.ng market are concerned lest the rmbangu. should be lifted.—Ed. The Son-I