ADVANCE IN COAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1932, 30 August 1888, Page 3

ADVANCE IN COAL

As will be seen Newcastle coal has still further advanced m price m Aahburton, and we may also look forward to payiog a higher figure for West Coast coal. It Is of no small consequence to very many families here that the warmer weather is coming m or the effect of the advance m the pries of coal would be more severely felt. Commenting on the action of the West (Last coal companies, the "Oamaru Maii" savß :— •' There can be no other reason for their action than that they desire to make capital out of the present distressing emergency. Nothing hia oconrred to increase the cost of working the West Coast mines. On the contrary, the demand for coal from those mines will increase to aaoh an extent that their proprietors will realise their desire to oary on their operations vlgoroualy, continuously, and with a full complement of hands. Thus the cost of procuring the ooal will bo lefls and the profits larger by reason of the increased output. The action of the West Coast coal mine proprietors is a Btraoge commentary on the policy of spending over half a million of the colonial foods In constructing harbors and railways, so that these operations might be facilitated. These things were a gift to them at the expense of the people of the colony, who are being taxed to p»y interest on the money that they oost, and yet, on the occurrence of thu vary first excuse, the mine proprietors, to whom bo handsome a present has been made, impose another unconscionable tax on the people who have been their benefactors. It was hard enough to have to pay 38s per ton for local coal, for the obtainment of whioh the people of the colony have contributed with such excessive liberality ; but when another 2s is added to the price, and an excuse is thus afforded tho retailers for adding 4i or 5s to their price, It Is high time to protest. The people of this colony have enough to suffer from tbe troubles that exist m their own colony without being dragged, without either rhyme or reason, into the trouble that has occurred m a neighboring colony. If the West Coast mine proprietors are going to persist In suoh extortion it is to be hoped that the Legislature will adopt all available means for bringing them to reason." Our contemporary further says that the action of the ooal dealers m raising the price 5a a ton when the actual increase Is only 2a 6d, and bo mulcting their customers 2j 6d a ton, is an attempt "to profit by extortion." Mr John Gore, a member of the Dunedln Protection League, writes to the " Daily Times" on the Bubject of the increase m the price of ooal as follows : — I wae surprised to hear that the coalpit proprietors of the Westport and Brunner Companies have decided to put on an extra 5a per ton on their coals. Now, Sir, how does this action tally with the following question;, put by the Protection League of Otago to tbe proprietors of the above companies :— Are you In favor of an Import duty being placed on coals 1 Answer — Yes, 4s per ton. (2) O»n New Zealand supply its own demands? Yes, twofold. (3) Will the duty assist to develop our mining resources 1 Yes, to a very largo extent. (4) Will tho proposed duty increase the price of New Zealand coals? No. Now, Sir, If my memory serves me rightly, Messrs Kennedy Bros., of the Brunner mine, made the following comments on the above questions : — " There are 130,000 tons of coal imported from Australia yearly into this colony. That is nearly as much bb Grey mouth's output m 1881, and ia 25 per cent over Westport'a output m 1887 ; yet the mining and town population at Wastport and the coal mines is little short of 4000, and is mainly supported by the output of coal — 116,000 tons m 1887. Now Weatport and Greymouth could double their preeont output If they had a local demand for it, That we have the best possible proof of, and if any doubt exists on the point a report can be got from the managers of these various mines showing the number of days for the paat year that the mines were worked and the number of days idle when they could have been worked had there been any demand for the coal. This, we are satisfied, would establish our assertions on the point. This 130,000 tons, If produced In the colony, would support a population of 5000 people and employ about 10 coastal steamers m its carriage, spending eaoh m wages, victualling, and repairs say £500 monthly, or m all £5000 per month. In addition to this It would add to the receipts of our looal railway (at present tariff rates and royalties on ooal) the nice sum of £16,250, one-half of which pays the railway, the remainder being profit,— a very nice ll'tle earn m theee day a of retrenchment and depression t The extra railway freight also would employ a large number of the hands now about being dispensed with." Sir, what do we find ? As soon as the news reached Dunedin that a strike oi the Newcastle miners had taken place, instead of there being no increase thej put on 5b per ton. I cannot see for the life of me whaf is the difference betweet stopping coals from coming into th< colon y and when there are none to com< m. I do not wrfte this letter In an] hostile spirit, but I think the public re quire some explanation.