THE COAL TRADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13993, 31 August 1909, Page 6

THE COAL TRADE.

A SLACK DEMAND. 200 MINERS DISCHARGED. Per Press Association. WTCSTPORT, August 30. The action of the Westport Coal Company in discharging some 200 men from their Graniiy Creek mine owing to th? slackness of the deman4 for coal, is causing a good deal oi local agitation, especially in view of the fact that the Government is importing Newcastle coal in Melboiirne-ouiied steamers, for us? on the railways. Amongst the reasons for the slackness in the demand are mentioned the good winter in Canterbury, the shutting down of the freezing establishments, the laying tip of ten of the Union Company's steamers, the competition of Newcastle coal (213,644 tons v ere landed during the last fix months. compared with 192.018 tons for the_ corresponding period last year), the North Island trunk line, the general rltiPnc-ss

of trade in tho Dominion. The Government's importations of Newcastle coal is a particularly sore point, and in many quarters there is a demand tor a prohibitive duty. The Stockton Miners' Union, in tiew of the widespread distress, passed a icso'ution deploring the Governm Mil's action in importing Newcastle coal. It considers such action a breach of trust reposed in the liberal Government by labour organisations. ' Mr Colvin, M.P., who complained to Mr Ronayne of hk importing 00.000 tons from Newcastle, says that Mr Ronayne told him that he was taking all suitable coal offering from the Stockton and State mines, but the Westporfc Coal Company would i<ot supply orders. Mr Colvin opposes the. reduction of local railway rates to assist in meeting the competition as the revenue is required to complete the harbour. Mr Dowgray, president of the Granity Union, says that one reason for shortening hands is the temporary scarcity of hard coal in the Granny mine. This difficulty will not be got over until the development work now proceeding, is completed. The Miners' Federation, he says ,will advocate a reduction of haulage rates and a duty on foreign coal. A public meeting in Westnort resolved that the importation of Australian coal into the Dominion is increasing, and that the railways are lame purchasers of imported coal :, that the mines in this district are working at- a reduced outnut owing to the scarcity of orders: that the Westnort, Curd Company to-day finds it necessarv to give 200 coal miners notice that their services are no longer required: the meetinc further nrses on the Cabinet the necessity of making a full and couin'.ete ennuiry into the reasons that brinf this undesirable state of : thin",s about, and if need be, iutroduce such (cisbtion as will ensure a regular and systematic working of the Dominion s own coal measures.