THE COAL TRADE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19629, 25 October 1933, Page 12

THE COAL TRADE

A DIFFICULT YEAR COLLIERY ASSOCIATION MEETS By Te!esrrar>h—Press Association WELLINGTON, October 24. The annual report presented by the conference of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association to-day states that not for many years have the difficulties experienced in production and marketing of coal been so great as during the last financial year of the Association. The decrease of output for the Dominion between 1931 and 1932 has been almost as great as between 1930 and 1931, and the decrease for the two years was nearly 750,000 tons. There has been a greater fall of output in the northern district than in the West Coast or in the southern district, and on the West Coast the output from co-operative mines has fallen to a greater extent than the output of Association. members’ mines.

The utilisation of power a head is increasing steadily, but the importance of coal is lessened because of the development of hydro-electricity, and the substitution of oil in shipping appears to bo for the importance of coal still further to recede. If the hydrogenation process for the product{om of petrol proves profitable in England, it lz almost certain that efforts will be made to apply it in New Zealand, but there are considerable difficulties to be overcome. In the interests of the coal trade, it is to be hoped that investment will not be made in hydrogenation plants without a thorough investigation.

Commenting on the report, the president, Colonel W. D. Holgate emphasised the need for rationalisation of the industry and suggested that the importation of coal and of fuel oil might be restricted to the benefit of those in the trade and the country as a whole. He considered that the hydrogenation process was still in the experimental stage, but said that the carbonising of coal was now a proved commercial success in England and Germany, and two years' experience in running the Waikato plant had proved to the directors of that company that the carbonising lignite could be made a financial success, though, so far, the industry was limited to the production of briquettes. With a greater demand it would be possible to produce benzine, oils and other by-products as was done in England and elsewhere.