Obstacles to Trade.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 809, 8 July 1933, Page 10

Obstacles to Trade.

Coal Industry.

Importation Unnecessary, it is Stated.

'J'HE DIFFICULTIES besetting the West Coast coal trade at the present time, resulting in few of the mines working more than part time and the miners receiving little more than relief wages, were explained, in an interview to-day, by Mr P. C, Webb, who now controls one of the biggest coal selling organisations in New Zealand. The three chfef obstacles to a recovery in the West Coast trade were described by Mr Webb as lack of purchasing power on the part of the people, the increased use of oil fuel for ships and of electricity in homes, and the unnecessary importation of overseas coal. Mr Webb’s attention was drawn -to the request of the Grey Valley miners and the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce for a complete investigation into the coal industry in New Zealand, with a view to measures being taken to rehabilitate the industry. The suggestion was also made on the Coast that the selling organisation of the State Coal Depot was not as efficient as it might be and that the officers of the department were not “ pushing ” the sales of State coal. Reduced Consumption. Mr Webb explained that one of the major difficulties facing the State Mines Department was that the screened coal from the Liverpool mine, which is worked by the State, is very friable and is slightly too heavy for ordinary household use. It is, however, an ideal gas and steam producing coal. There had also to be taken into account the general state of the country, added Mr Webb. In Christchurch alone, there were 0000 families in receipt of relief and in every one of these cases the consumption of coal had been reduced to the very lowest amount possible. In his travels through the country districts, he had found that farmers and station owners who, a few years ago, burned coal in large quantities, were now burning firewood from their own or neighbouring plantations. In the towns, many of the unemployed were cutting firewood and selling it at very low prices, with the result that in many homes heating was obtained from wood. Co-operative Mines. Mr Webb was asked, as a purchaser of coal from both co-operative mines and the State, to reply to the allegation that cooperative miners were working full time while the State miners were idle. He said that the co-operative miners were experiencing a good deal of slack time. The output of the mines was very small and it had to be remembered that most of these mines were engaged in working small seams of the very highest class of coal. Another serious difficulty on the West Coast coalfields at the present time was the problem of disposing of slack, continued Mr Webb. This was especially the case in mines producing sulphurous coal and nonbituminous coal. Electricity had eaten into the slack trade, while the quantity " of oil fuel imported into New Zealand annually was equivalent to about 200,000 tons of coal. The demands of shipping had been reduced through slackness of trade and the number of boats using oil fuel was increasing. Commenting on the charge of lack of enterprise on the part of the officers of the State Mines Department, Mr Webb raid that during his travels up and down the country, he had seen no more energetic staff than that employed by the State. The men were thoroughly conversant with the qualities of coal needed for various purposes and were well spoken of by all who had dealings with them. lie felt sure that there was not to be found in the coal industry in New Zealand a more efficient or more enterprising staff than that employed by the State. Far more coal was imported into New Zealand than was necessary, said Mr Webb, in discussing this phase of the problem. The unnecessary importation of coal was bitterly resented in the mining areas and there were some industries in New Zealand which were not making use of suitable New Zealand coal. Householders were also to blame for the continued importation of coal, and vertical retort gasworks used more imported coal than was necessary. The miners felt that if the fruitgrowers, wheat producers and other food producers were entitled to some form of protection, the miner, whose wages to-day were no greater than the men on relief works, should also receive consideration. For general household purposes, New Zealand coal was superior to that imported from Australia, said Mr Webb, who has had an analysis made of the heat and other contents of the various coals. He pointed out that sonte overseas experts had declared that New Zealand could produce the best household coal to be found in the world. Mr Webb was asked to explain the reason for the comparatively high cost of coal in Christchurch. He said that in the first place, the majority of bituminous fields produced considerably more slack or dross than lump coal. A mine producing, say, 60 per cent of hard or lump coal, had a great advantage over a mine producing, say, 75 per cent of slack, as was the case in some instances. In order to get rid of the slack, the mines had made big reductions in the price, but unless they got reasonably large quantities of hard coal, the difficulties of operating were very great. The Government could show its practical interest in the coal industry of the Dominion, an industry which was of major importance, by seriously investigating the extent' to which oil fuel came into the country, added Mr Webb. This fuel practically escaped all duties and taxes. A duty on it would assist both the State revenues and the coal industry.