THE STATE AND THE COAL MINES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2881, 20 September 1916, Page 6

THE STATE AND THE COAL MINES

_* ' By Telegraph—Press Association. inveroargill, September 19. With rcierence to the remarks made by the Hon. G. W. Russell at Christchurch on Saturday to a deputation from the Coal Merchants and Dealers' Association, Mr. Wm. Handy6ide, managing director of the Nightcaps Coal Company, tent the following telepram to the Minister on Monday:—"Press Association telogram from Cnristchurch says that at your meeting with coal merchants you said that the people the State had intended hitting were the owners of coal mines. Our company wishes to know what' justification you have for this sweeping statement, seeing that during the last 35 years wo have supplied the Southland public at fair market rates, fluctuating not more than two shillings per ton., and that without any Stato competition." Yesterday Mr. Handyside received tho following replj: "My reference at Christchunffl was not to individual coal companies liko yours, which are local in character, hut to those companies whose operations coutrol prices throughout the Dominion. [ am pleased to know your company has conduoted its operations so fairly throughout its long existence. I wish you continued success. II other districts wero served equally well tho need for State coal rninoa to steady pricea would not have existed."