COAL SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1920, Page 5

COAL SUPPLY.

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK.' J NEWCASTLE IMPORTS SOON. LOCAL OUTPUT IMPROVING, (By Wire.—Parliamentary .Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. A suggestion from Mr. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), that the Government should assist the Wellington Gas Company, drew a statement from the Prime Minister regarding coal supplies. Mr. Wright said that many Wellington people were at present-'-without'either gas or coal. Mr,._Massey replied that he would be glad to assist the city if he could, but the shortage of coal was general, '•' He had received from the Railway Department a return showing that during the shortage the department had distributed about 30,000 tons of its coal to various consumers, including gas works, local bodies, and freezing works. .. The department could not do anything niore in that direction. Its reserves of coal were now so small that it could not help anybody else. He was sorry to have to say that, but the position had better be understood. The New Zealand mines were now working normally, and production jhad increased considerably during the Inst few days. The Prime Minister added that he had just received a cablegram from the Prime Minister of in reply to an inquiry regarding supplies of coal for the Dominion. Mr. Hughes stated that instructions had been,given, as far as Maitland coal was concerned, that New Zealand ships were to be given preference over all the overseas ships. This meant that after the Australian market was served, NeW Zealand collier's would have first call on supplies of Australian coal. New Zealand would have preference, for example, over Sweden, which had been placing large orders with Australian mines. Mr. Hughes added in his cablegrum that he expected Australian ship's' to absorb all the Maitland coal available until Fr/ay. New Zealand had ships at Newcastle at present waiting for cargoes of coal, and if these ships were able to get loaded after Friday the coal shortage in New Zealand ought to be relieved to some extent about the end of next week. The position at the mines was at present satisfactory. If the present output could be maintained for a few weeks, the position generally would be much easier, but it was impossible to speak positively of the prospects. POSITION AT THE MINES. SOME LOCAL GRIEVANCES. NORTHERN MINERS' THREAT. By Telegraph.—-Press Association. Wellington, Last Night The Blackball Coal Company notifies that the miners will not discontinue the go-slow policy until two blacksmiths cither pay the Broken Hill levy, or' are discharged from the company's service. The PuKemiro and Rotowaro miners demand similar railway concessions to those recently granted to the State minprs, and threaten to stay away from work next'.Monday unless these are granted. THE STATE MINES. DEMAND FOR MORE MEN. NATIONALISATION OPPOSED, Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Representatives this ■■afternoon, Mr. Massey laid on the table a report of the State' coal mines, a debate on which emphasised the need for improved conditions for miners before alarger coal output could be expected. Continuing the debate on the State coal mines report in the evening, Mr. Massey said the shortage of coal was not merely a Dominion question, because there was a world shortage of coal. In New Zealand .it miglit be traced to two sources, first, greatly increased consumption, and secondly, t> a shortage of miners. Statistics showed that there were six hundred miners less working in New Zealand to-day than ten years ago. This was due to various causes, but one explanation :e----cently given him from the miners leaving the mines was that many were sick of the "go-slow" , policy being forwd upon them by the unions. There was, in his opinion, enough coal in New Zealand to last for a thousand years, but wo were going the wrong way about handling it. Instead of increasing our output of New Zealand coal, wo were increasing our importations of foreign coal. That position, was not right. He had taken over the portfolio of Mines for the purpose of getting first hand knowledge of the mining industry. He fully recognised the dangerous nature of the minors' work, and he was satisfied that miners must be well paid for what, they did. That was the position he had taken up, and If is efforts had always gone in that direction. He had not been so successful as he had hoped, but he looked for better things: D'.scussing the question of opening 'ip more mines, ho said that was not the difficulty. What they wanted was mure miners. Replying to Mr. Mitchell. Mr. Massey said between two and three hundred miners had come out to the Dominion recently, but not sufficient to make any material difference in the output. Mr. Holland: What about bringing men from Broken Hill? Mr Massey said that after what had happened at Broken Hill he was not sure they, wanted that sort of miner here. As to the solution of the coal mine difficulties, he was not sure that nationalisation was the remedy. The history of the State, mines was not encouraging in this direction, for they had not been more successful in administration in that connection than the pri-vately-owned mines, while they had made a serious loss on their coa'i depots. To keep down the cost of coal to the people he favored the opinion of the Board of Trade, as expressed in their recent report on the subject. One other objection to the nationalisation of the ,«aine« wai jkl»iA.J«jte»b.tl(lJl«jrll4s»^