SCREENED COAL.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20491, 9 March 1932, Page 10

SCREENED COAL.

DIMINISHED DEMAND. STATE MINES WORKING SHORT TIME. ("From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, March 8. The difficulty of keeping the State coal mines on the West Coast working full time on account of the lack of demand for screened coal was mentioned by the Hon. C. E. Macmillan in the House of Representatives to-day, when replying to a question asked by Mr H, E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition. Mr Holland drew the Minister's attention to a statement made by Mr R. English at Christchurch last week to the effect that the State Mines Department had refused to negotiate with Coal Distillation and By-Products (N.Z.), Ltd., for supplies of coal on the ground that the Department was able to dispose of all the State coal mined. If Mr English 's statement was correct, Mr Holland asked would the Minister inform the House why orders from this company were refused in view of tho fact that for the past five months tho Liverpool (State) mines had worked on an averago only 2J days per week, and were still working short time. Statement by Minister. "The Mines Department has not refused tp negotiate with the company referred to for supplies of coal on the ground that the Department was able to dispose of all the State coal mined," the Minister replied. "On Ostober 21st Mr English, managing-director of the company referred to, wrote enquiring if tho Department was prepared to quote for supplies of Liverpool small coal. In the Department's reply to the enquiry it was pointed out that tho whole of the small coal produced from tho Liverpool colliery was sold to consumers who had been doing business-, with the Department for years, and that so far as could be seen this business would continue. Under these circumstances, therefore, Mr English was politely advised that there was no surplus Liver-' pool small coal available at that time to supply his requirements, but in the event of the demand then existing diminishing, the Department would be pleased to get into further touch with him. Since that time tho Liverpool colliery has not sufferod any idle time whatever in consequence of the accumulation of Liverpool small coal, but the mine has not been kept working full time owing to the difficulty in disposing of screened coal, and as the Leader of the Opposition knows small coal cannot be produced unless there is a sale for screened coal."