COAL INDUSTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21188, 8 November 1938, Page 5

COAL INDUSTRY

Reply to Minister’s Statement Retorts Should Be Converted By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, November 7. New Zealand could dispense almost entirely with Australian coal if some gas companies in the Dominion were not equipped with retorts designed solely for the use of Australian coal, according to a statement made to-day by Mr C. C. Davis, president of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association. Mr Davis was commenting on the statement by the Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb), who said that an effort would be made to ensure that New Zealand mines produced all the gas-producing coal needed in New Zealand. As far as the coal industry was aware, there was no shortage of supplies of gas-producing coal from New Zealand mines, Mr Davis said. If the State mines were finding it difficult to fulfil orders, he would suggest that some of the other companies which could supply coal of equal quality should be given an opportunity to cover any shortage that might exist. Last year 116,499 tons of Australian coal, almost all of it gas-producing had been imported. The diversion of this supply would greatly benefit Nelson and the West Coast mines and would make “all the difference between bread-and-butter and a square meal.” Referring to Mr Webb’s claims to have benefited West Coast mines by a reduction of imports of Australian coal, Mr Davis gave the following figures showing the extent of imports both before and since Mr Webb took over the portfolio of Mines:—

“That retorts more suited to the use of Imported coal than for the Dominion’s own product should ever have been installed is economically wrong in principle," said Mr Davis. “In the interests of employment and of the Dominion’s coal mining industry, it would pay the Government, even at this late stage, to subsidise the capital cost of converting unsuitable retorts where such exist to plant capable of using 100 per cent New Zealand coal. At any rate, all replacements and extensions in the future should be so regulated."

Year Imports Consumption Tons Tons 1930 .... 157,943 2,700,035 1931 .... 197,060 2,336,816 1932 .... 103,531 1,945,553 1933 .... 99,272 1,920,530 1934 .... 100,715 2,161,030 1935 .... 97,398 2,212,582 1936 .... 111,078 2,251,295 1937 .... 116,499 2,394,298