COAL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 197, 15 May 1919, Page 5

COAL SUPPLIES

$ A SERIOUS SHORTAGE AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS ( THE AUSTRALIAN CONTROL With regard to the statement made by His Worship the Mayor published yesterday regarding shortage of coal in Wellington, tho Hon. Arthur Myers, Minister in chargo of coal distribution, informed a representative of The Dominion that information furnished him by tho Wellington Coal Trade Committee does not support the view expressed by. Mr. Luke. At tho present time there is. more coal in dealers' yards than there' has been for a considerable time past. During the lost ten days the s.s. Waihora has discharged for trade i<juu tons, Pohorua 200 tons, Karanvu 300 tons, and Canopus 300 tons, making a total of '1800 tons for domestic requirements. Regarding Corporation services, as far as the Minister was aware neither of tho activities of tho City Council's departments has had to bo curtailed through lack of coal, notwithstanding tho fact that tho electric plant burns during the winter months nearly 100 tons per week more than it does during the summer months. Besides this, the Corporation have 1000 tons of coal ex s.s. Raranga in reserve; and despite this fact supplies for the Corporation if available from their usual sources will not be curtailed, . the committee recognising that if possible it is necessary for the council to haw a "reserve against any contingencies. As to the cases of distress, mentioned by the Mayor, the Minister and the Wellington Coal Tradq. Committee regret that I Mr. Liiko did tiot approach them for re- | lief, as sufficient publicity had already been given to tho fact that in all such cases every, effort would be made to I afford immediate relief. The public, had at-all times'. b*:n in- ! formed of the true position in connection < with, the coal shortage, so that there was ; no warrant .for the statement made by j Mr. Luke that there had been any want j of - confidence by the GovernI'ment. I - : firewood, action had already !'been taken to endeavour to increase the : supply, but until recently the-shortage j of labour had had the effect ,of restrioti ing the output considerably for domestic ; The matter,, however, was stilT receiving urgent attention, and it was trusted that the supplies of firewood would be : considerably augmented during the coming winter. ■ American Coal, -;ty Speaking of the American cr;al 'which arrived ex Raranga,, the Minister statea that those dealers who had been-taking this coal into stock were findiug no dif'ficulty in disposing of it, and nitwithits' being'unscreened, customers j spoke highly of its^value as a-domestic coal.; The bulk-of it, however, had been distributed for railways and other industrial purposes, hut supplies me still available to dealers for distribution to householders. Tho Minister, having anticipated a' shortage during the coming winter, arranged for this nnd. other shipments of American coal, in order to relieve the position of-, the Dominion generally, unfortunately- it had to-, be home in mind that New Zealand was not alone in regard l to coal shortage, Newcastle, looked upon as one of the largest exporters of coal in the world, had recently curtailed all oversea supplies. The Commonwealth Government had • re-, quisitioned the bulk of the mine ov.tput in Australia for. Inter-State r.se, and last I week, out of- an output of 72,000 tons, i only 10,000 tons *!Tere available for exI port. As New Zealand alone required 50,000' tons a month from Newcastle to supplement her own output, it would be realised-that'the securing of shipments from America' was in the national- interest, notwithstanding the h:'gh cost. Since the Australian coal had been controlled "by the ■ Commonwealth Government, the price had been advanced 2s. 9d. a ton. The Minister pointed. out, nowover, that the question of prices charged.by merchants was not one'coining'under his;jurisdiction;- but was'con.trolled by the Board of Trade.' Referring to the statement concerning the action of the Coal Committe<> during the recent epidemic, Mr. Myers staled that proof could be shown that the committee was instrumental in getting discharged- the steamer Kanna with 2000 tons of Newcastle coal entirely for the benefit of householders during that distressing period, when members of the committee waited personally upon a conference of • shipowners and waterside workers, and were successful in obtaining the loyal co-operatiom of the workers in ijetting the vessel discharged. ■ "I would liko to point out, in conclusion." said Mr; Myers,. "that ur fortunately the total.New Zealand outnut and importations last year were ks's than those for 1914 by over 700,000 tons. The retnrns already to hand for the piesent : year-'also disclose the fact that-the local output is on the decline, due principally to shortage of labour."