STATE COAL MINES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11637, 15 August 1905, Page 7

STATE COAL MINES.

The Board of Enquiry.

(Per United Press Association.) t WELLINGTON, August 15. n The State Coal Minss Board of Enquiry opened its sitting in Wellington this morning.

Mr Beattie, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Government Railways, said that the Railway Department had been carrying on tests and experiments witli State coal in all the districts. Point Elizabeth coal had gone off greatly • during the past six months; theie was too" great a pvopoition of slack in it, and it waa too light for heavy railway work. He desired to emphasise the mistake of Bending out unscreened coal.

It came out during the hearing that screen are now being erected at the Point Elizabeth mine.

William Scott, railway foreman, also insisted on the importance of screening the coal. In its unscreened state, 25 per cent, more Point Elizabeth coal had to be consumed than of Brunner and Westpoit. A number of reports were submitted in writing from railway officers. Alex. McDougall gave evidence regarding short supplies and short hours.