THE COAL SHORTAGE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18290, 13 June 1929, Page 9

THE COAL SHORTAGE.

WELLINGTON WITHOUT RESERVES. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 12. A Wellington coal merchant stated to-day that there are no stocks of Newcastle coal In the city; in fact any sort of coal' Is so short here that no merchant has a reserve, but all are working from day to day, and even then are finding it difficult to keep up with the demand. In reply to a question as to whether the Railway Department is affected as a result of curtailment of supplies from Newcastle, and coal being obtained from England, the Minister of Railways (Hon. W. Tavener), said the Department was only affected so far as stocks from Newcastle were concerned. It might be possible to meet the deficiency by utilising local supplies. The Minister stated that no supplies were en route from England for the New' Zealand Railways at present. The Department, however, had been obtaining quotations for coal from the Old Country. Mr T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association, stated that the normal condition of the coal trade in New Zealand for several years past had not been sufficient to keep the mines anything like fully employed. As far as Christchurch is concerned the chief sources of supply for domestic trade at any rate were the Otago and Southland mines, and he was at a loss to account for the alleged difficulty of obtaining supplies for that city. The position should not be affected by the strike of the Blackball miners or by the strike in Australia.