STATE COAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1522, 19 August 1912, Page 7

STATE COAL.

RETAIL BEPGTS TO BE CLOSED* RAILWAYS REQUIRE ENTIRE OUTPUT. Tho Government has decided to elo?# all retail depots in Wellington, Wanganui, Christchnrcll, and Dunedin established for tho salo of coal from the State mines. These depots, which have been competing against private, dealers for some years ]>astv wore established during tho Seddon icgimc with, the avowed, object of bringing down, tho price of coal, and establishing a Stal/j-controllcd coal industry. Coal of fair t/nality was placed on tho market 111 -Wellington, and Inter iu Christchuivh, ant \ Dunedin, at slightly cliw, er ratjs t | lan o( . ner coals _ Qt Jul . e U'.OVo havo liocn labour troubles, and these, orrcentuatcd by a shortage of labour in . Uio mines, havo brought alxrot a restrict. Ed output, and as late experience has prov. Ed tho State's mines at Point Elizabeth and Seddonvillo are unable to supply both private and State needs, the railways lieing practically able to consume the who!« of the prcsout output. Iu three circumstances tho Government has decided to retire from tho- retail business, and confine its efforts to supplying from tho State mines the railways and other public utilities. The position has been rendered rather ticuto in Wellington during the present winter owing to tho shortage in supply, and only- a few days ago tho Stato Coal. Oiflco in ,Wellington announced that it could not tako any orders for at least ton days, and that was not the first occasion by any means on which the depot's clientele has been held up this year. Tho reason for this is not so much tho decreasing output of tho mines as it has been the gradually increasing supplies required for tho railways, which havo first call on State coal. Arrangements wero recently mado for (ho extension of the yard accommodation in connection with tho local depot, by taking in what was Senear's foundry yard, at tho rear of Kennedy's building/ in. Lower Cuba Street. The cessation of business on tho part of the depots will' tend to restore tho competition among private dealers, whoso business was seriously affected by tho intervention of the State.