UNDER-SECRETARY FOR MINES GIVES REASONS

Chronicle (Levin), 6 January 1948, Page 7

UNDER-SECRETARY FOR MINES GIVES REASONS

WELLINGTON, Jan. 5. It was hoped to import from 80,000 to 100,000 tons of British coal to New Zealand during 19-18, said the GnderBecretary ' for Aline.s, Mr. C. H. Benney. 4e was cojiimenting on the London Ooai Ooinmittee's allocation of 20,000 tont of coal . to the Dominion for Januur^ and February. . Mr. Benney said about 80,000 tons oi coal had been imported from Nprtk Anxerica last year but beeause of the dollar position the Government did uot wish to bring coal from that quarter in 1948. Attempts to "secure what was ueeded in South Africa and Australia had failed. Before the war Britain had exported between 00,000,000 to 80,000,000 tons yearly and with increased production pianned to begin building up an. exporttrade again this year. "Alany- people do not realise that New Zealand 's coal v problem is not simply oue of increased production, " Mr. Benney said. "Our greatest ueed is for 'bituminous coal of a low sulpliur cohteut, suitable" for gasworlcs aud loco- . uiotive use and it is coal of this type that we are importing from Britain. During and immediately' after the 191418 war, we imported coal from many parts of the world including Britain. •This;, of course, was very costly. We c'an land coal at Auckland or Wellington from the South Islaud or from Australia at less tlian haif the cost oi 1 similar coal brought from Britain. "For many years up to 1942 about 100,000 tons of coal have been imported annually from Australia. The gasmaking industry has been partlv built up oii Austraiiau coal but now Ausf tralia has hardly euough for her own ueeds. ' ' Keferring to New Zealand 's coal production, Mr. Benney said this could probably be raised from the present figure ' of about 2,800,000 tons annually to 4,000,000 tons but there was a iinnt to what could be done to increase production of low sulphur bituminous coal. It was likely we would have to continue to import about IU0,000 tons annually uuless somethiug could be done by proeessing to reduce the sulphur content of some of our owu bituminous output. Bituminous coals of all kinds made up something more thau one-third of our total production. Besides gasworlcs aud the railways, other industries such as those making brieks and metallurgieal coal, needed coal with a low sulphur eonteut. Mr. Benuey said housiug and hostei building schenies for the miuing districts would attract more men including. bnmigrauts to the industry, while new mechauical methods which had beeu developed overseas, particularly during tlie war, would be used wlien tli'e machiuerv came to liand. Big orders had been placed for machinery but delivery took from 18 months to two years. However, some should be arriving this year. With more men and machinery production sliould be restore.d to prewar levels in the mines which had now diverted men to developmental work deferred in the interests of innnediate production during the war. Important developments in open cast mining were forecast by Xlr. Benney wh6 said the departmont had soiue big schemes.iii mind. "Rere again the equipiiient problem is most important," he Said. "Kecently we called tcnders for special lieavy dutv plant for open-' castiiig, likely to cost somethiug likc £150, 0UU. Development work is plan- - ned iu both the Nortli and Bouth Islands. " UnfortuuateJy bituminous coal of tlie tvpe so urgently needed, was not being won by open-cast methods. The latest developments in his dcpartuient, a plau to' set upj its first up--to-date briquetting plant- at Btockburu, | uear Christchurch, were referred to by j Mr. Benney who said the departiueut's . consultng engineer in tliis. matter, Mr. I A. B. Jones, of Waikato Carbonisation j Ltd., Huntly, would leave next month for the l nited Btates and England to J studv recent advances. The first j plant was expected to cost about I £60,000. It was hoped to have it' in j operation within 18 months. It was • pl^nned tg use mucli open-cast coal in ] bl'iquette nialcing. '