THE COAL INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 4 September 1909, Page 4

THE COAL INDUSTRY.

IMPOBTATION FROM NEWCASTLE. < .; ■ v NJEW ZEALAND MARKET BEING ''. .. . /.;•'.■■■■ , flooded/; ~ ;;.;::.■ (By Toleerntiii.—l'rcis AobocloHod.l " :"*. x .';. •,'/■"' Auckland,'Scptombor 3. - ,■ Importations of Newcastle , coal.into New .:.: Zealand.threaten to have a.somewhiit sorioiis ';■ . effect upon tho- mines of 'the, Auckland pro-; .„■ ■■ .vince. Representatives of some of'thecoaJ- " 'mining .companies seen'' to-day by, no.-nieana, -'. relished the situation oreated by tho, Govern-.; ,° v niejit!and other, iniportcrs; drawing;.supplies.', ■',- , from Newcastle.; : ,.' ■'■:-, ■.:■■'■'.-■■ v.:'i; - ■■'.".■■ : . .-- ;

; The iuinaging director'.' of '.Jbo. I Northern ■ •:' Coal Company (Mr., Wi. D.\ Holgatc) stated- -,;, .that there was. a likeUhood of a.reduction of,,'';■' hands.! irt at. least" one o^;that '.oqfljpany's ■.','. -J , pits very shortly talcss matters'' improved; .■ ■'ily reason fbr saying ;thatj" Mr. ; Holgate. I .;'. remarked, "is chiefly, on account of the.mar»;.:.; ket being flooded with '.Newcastle;, coal; Dtif- : . , ing the- last .year the importation of coal ■■ from Newcastle has exceeded that of any vious year by .over a million tons... In tlio; ■■ first five months of, tho year alone wharf ago.. ■" was paid ■ in' Auckland on 82,000 ton's, of; Newcastle coal, and that doe's not include the,'.';. : supplies, taken':-by. steamers ~or. put into'hulksN ! -. here.. Tlierd is no doubt that Newcas'tlocoal: . , is,' freighted .cheaply hero , owing:. to, timber vessels (joing. to Australia' bringing cargoes. '~ of.it back instead, of'.ballast.", ..-.;-, ■.''Vγ. , ' '. Both-, Mr;. .Holgatd; iaiid: ..other/ (yjvnere ; -}>\ blamed; tlio'Arbitration Act : t6, a Certain ox-"..?.:.

tent,.ill: that j it had ; they a,tend- ,•. ,eucy to increase tho' wages of miners' to' ouch' an oxtcut'that Newcastle c'oal cb;uld.;be;pro- :'•!:.■: dticed cheaper than r ;that ,of.:Nα' '\_ZeaTahd :; \' mines.' In consequence the. Ddmtoion wda; :b>mg."jnade. the dumping ground for'.Aus- ... tralian produce. 5 " , '.;'.'■ ■■''.■",■■.';.'..; .■ ■'',;: 'i' , -Of:-/' '..'i, Oiie '; promihciii r . repres«iitativq'..of. .locallyV-' owned mines expressed ■ the opiuioii ; that tnO i 'Government was much to blanie for .import-',; . ing'tho Now. South; "Wales coali'fift'.thought, .'■ the etatemeat: attributed, to. the Minister , forRailwaye,: on the • Subject was Very■ ; lame, . though", no doiibt) he was not responsible for, ji; it.- To-'say that'screened'coal.suitable-for - r :- oteamirigwas not; readily obtainable-in New... Zealand was. to say! what, was .open'to" doubt. , , Coal quite fts suitable for the railways as Nciwcastlo', could be' got:in :the > Dominion.,-,, ,-, vNot only that, .'but pn.some.,of. the .Govern-'■.-..-ment lines,' -notably -on 'the \Vhangarei'. sectipn, unscreened. 1 .coal was^used- with; ', fact6ry.. ; was not,: ■'~ ;' only liqavily gridedjibut carried heavy' traffic.-, ■:....v .-'." In ..thcilfcascrdfxiiliej .tho;ract of the Gdvernmcut ~-. Nowcastle. coal :dn disorganised','. " work at the .HUntly- mines, . \ This company; hasi .a contract ; to ■'' ■' cbftain , tonnage!'per. l weelt""' and! when, tho • > ' ; orders-havejjeen.ifor. lessj , worlj/has'onond.r, . .or two '■ occasions : had to' be '■' sttipj^d' to -pre-' "j'i yent a surplus being on hand, ' Should' this •■ itato'of things .'continue, it; would -h,e T serious for the company. ;';',! ;'■''', ' • ..-' ..'