STATE COAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1512, 7 August 1912, Page 10

STATE COAL.

.TOO LITTLE AVAILABLE. A WOKKERS , DEPUTATION. The difficulty (if Obtaining coal from the Stnto depot in Wellington was laid before the Minister for Mines {the Hon. W. Eraser) Inst evening by n deputation from the Wellington Trades Council. The deputation was introduced by Mr. A. 11. Hindnmrsh, M.l'., and the. members of it were: Messrs. 11. .1. Jieardon, \V. C. Nbot, AV. Naughton, anil W. AVaterworth. .Mr. 31. .1. Kenrdon said that working men, ordinarily . patrons of the State depot?, had, owing to being unable to get coal then , , had to go to private denler.s, can in hand, to get n supply, lie alleged Hint, some customers in a.bigger way of business could get coal at the depot when working men could not. The coal wns there, but. a shortago had en used the State Department to lie so overwhelmed with orders that they could not he fulfilled wilk the limited staff available. He submitted Unit it was the duty of the Denprtmeiit to carry on its trado in a businesslike way. It seemed that, there was a decline in,the output of coal from the Stato mines, and only some four or live depots had been established. As the demand exceeded the output, the obvious duly of the State was to increase, its output—preferably by opening a mine in the North Wand. He urged, also, that the Stato. should carry its coal in. its own vessels, instead of paying a big bill for freight. AHoiit a quarter of a, million tons of coal was being imported per year— surely a large amount for a small community in a country where there were supposed to bo large coal-bearing areas. He asked the Minister to consider the advisability of calling upon the aid of the municipal authorities in the smaller towns to distribute Stato coal, but especially to ensure a sufficient and regular supply of coal for consumers. The Minister in reply said there was no doubt.that the representations were perfectly true. There had been a dearth of coal for some time past, , and very grave discomfort had resulted. But the blame did not lie entirely with those controlling the Department. It was difficult to get bottoms to bring the coal from the coast, ahd difficult to work the West Coast harbours. The railways were demanding a- larkor proportion of State coal, and it was impossible to win from the Point Elizabeth mine sufficient coal to satisfy the demand. A very narrow seam had been struck. He confessed that since he took office he was by no means satisfied with the control of the State Coal Department; It was not his desire to prevent the carrying on of the State business; it had not been interfered with since the Government took It ivas under his consideration, and something was being done to improve the system of administering it. It would be shown when the accounts were presented that. losses had been , incurred at Wellington, and a still creator loss at Christshurch, but this might be h mere bookkeeping less, shown by crediting the mine with too high a price for the coal ■it the pit-mouth. He did not think it would be advisable to set up more depots lintili the supply was increased. The abjection to acquiring a mine in the North Island was that , the Auckland M.il was more like a lignite than the West Coast Coal, was friable, and did not stand carriage well. He assured the leputation that the matters they had mentioned would receive his earnest attention. • .