FOR THE RAILWAYS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19842, 17 May 1927, Page 7

FOR THE RAILWAYS

USE OF LOCAL COAL Australian Visitor Gives His Views IMPORTS FROM AUSTRALIA. [By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright.] (A. & N.Z.) SYDNEY, May 15. Mr J. T. Pettigrew, representative of the Abennain Colliery, New South Wales, who returned from New Zealand by the liner Tahiti, says that there has been a labour agitation in New, Zealand against the quantity of coil imported from Australia as the result of New Zealand coal being tested for use in railway locomotives. Mr Pettigrew declared that if the railways used local coal entirely and importations from Australia were restricted, householders would be forced to go short.

NOT ENDORSED DOMINION SUPPLY UPHELD. STATEMENT BY UNDERSECRETARY. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 16. The statement of Mr J. T. Pettigrew, a recent Australian visitor to New Zealand, that if the railways of Nev/ Zealand used local coal entirely, and importations from Australia were restricted, householders would be forced to go short, is not endorsed by authoritative local opinions. The Under-Secretary for Mines (Mr A. H. Kimbell), stated emphatically that the existing mines in the Dominion could be relied upon to supply the whole of the requirements of New Zealand for domestic and Dominion purposes. This might involve greater development and the employment of a larger number of men than at present, but the fact was that the Dominion could double its output. The question really hinged upon what quantity of coal would be used by the railways in the future. It was well known that the railways were using larger quantities of New Zealand coal than formerly. For months past they had been using mixed coals with good results.

Mr Kimbell pointed out that the great bulk of the imported Australian coal in the past had been used for the manufacture of gas, and for steam raising on the railways. Very liitle Australian coal had been supplied for do mestic purposes.

“The plain fact is,’’ said Mr Kimbell, “that importations of Australian coal have decreased during the past six months, and some gasworks arc not using as much Australian coal as they did formerly. The increased use of New Zealand coal by the railways is the result of tests conducted some months ago by the special Board set up by the Minister of Railways. The board reported last year that the tests had proved that quite a number of New Zealand coals were suitable for con sumption in New Zealand railway locomotive engines. ‘lt is possible, and likely,’ the Board reported, ‘that the Railway Department would be able to obtain continuous and adequate supplies of New Zealand coal. Our reason for saying this is that there was evidence that the mining facilities on nearly every coalfield were adequate for the production of much more coal than is now being won, and the number of miners engaged in the industry was greater than was warranted by the present output.’

The Board stated that Newcastle coal deteriorated less than New Zealand coals, and therefore was most suitable for a reserve stock, as even Newcastle coal could not be kept indefinitely. There must be some movement of those stocks, which would mean a certain constant consumption of Newcastle coal. Importations of coal during 1925 totalled 572,573 tons, and last year importations were 540,125 tons.”