COAL SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 235, 30 June 1919, Page 6

COAL SHORTAGE

DOMESTIC SUPPLIES EASIER

\ ' OVER 1400 TONS THIS WEEK FOR WELLINGTON

ILLUMINATING FIGURES

As ' far as Wellington is concerneq domestically, the coal shortage is not expected to be nearly so acute during tlio next week or two as has been the case for the. past fortnight. The amount allocated by the Coal Committee for .Wellington, to relieve the present' distress, is 1150, which should all be available for distribution this week if the weather holds reasonably fine. This coal is comprised of 700 tons from the. Kcmata, Iflil tons from the Kaiapoi, and Hoi) tons from the Kakapu. Providing there are no contingencies, it is hoped that the position .from this out will be a little easier as far as domestic supplies are concerned, but there are circumstances governing the situation which may make it-necessary for the public to exercise a little more forbearance than has been noticeable, lately. Speaking to a Dominion reporter, lir. F. J. Gunn, chairman of the Government Coal Committee, and one who knows the coal business thoroughly in all its ramifications, stated that occasions, arose at times during a general shortage such as was being experienced, not only throughout New Zealand, but all over the world, when the committee ha'd to discriminate between the merits of a demand for purely domestic purposes, und one for an industry that was seriously threatened through a lack of coal to make - the •wheels go round. There was only one thing to be done in such a position—the coal must be given to the industry. That would bo quite obvious on a little thought, for the sudden stoppage might at once cause a big factory to close down, throwing out of work perhaps ajiundred or so hands on whose wages some four or five hundred people might be depending. .Sensible people must see that it wnsiuoro essential that such an industry should be kept alive, at the expense perhaps of the iuilest comfort in tho homo. That did not often occur, he was glad to say, but it had occurred and might occur again, and the public must iearn to be more tolerant in'such cases, believing that the committee was doing its very utmost to meet the just demands of all sections of the community according to the merit of their cases. Thero had been a good deal of exaggeration as to tho need during the last few days, ami he was sure that if people had gone the right way about it they would have obtained at least a measure of relief.

"How could there be anything else but a sharp shortage," said Mr. Gunn, "when the amount of coal produced in New Zealand or imported during (lie year 1918 was three-quarters of a million tons short of what we produced and imported in the year 1914." "To bring the figures more up to date/' continued Air. Gunn, ' the amount of coal either produced or imported,during the five months of ttis year ended May 31, is 70,000 tons short tf what was at our disposal for the corresponding five months of last year. When supplies fall oft so suddenly p.s that ti:ere must necessarily be a shortage, and a good deal of inconvenience caused thereby. Then again, since the shipping trouble in Australia, we have had to depend oji the cargoes of three vessels only which lappened to be manned by Now Zealand crows, which vessels bring only one-tenth of the normal supplies wo are accustomed to get from Newcastle.

"Here are a few figures which show at a glance the manngr in which our coal supplies have , fallen away since the year 1914. Tons. Produced in New Zealand ... 2,275,593 Imported into New Zealand 518,070 Total 2,793,663 ■ 1915. ' Produced in Neiv Zealand ... 2,208,624 Imported into New Zealand 553.471 Total 2,562,095 1916. Produced in New Zealand T.. 2,257,135 Imported into New Zealand. . 293,956 Total : 2,551,091 1917. • Produced in New Zealand ... 2,068,419 Imported into New Zealand 291,597 Total ; 2,360,016 ' ' 1918. Produced in New Zealand ... 1,820,414 Imported into New Zealand 258,212 Total 2,078,626 "Nor do those ■ figures tell the whole story," continued .vir. Gunn, "for the greatest fa-lling-off in our coal output has ueen that registered in connection with hard (bicunnnous) coal, the only coal suitable for gas-making aiid bunkering. The figures in connection with clie output from this class of coal (the product of the West Coast mines for the most part), are as. follow :—

Tons. 1914 1,494,313 1915 1,401,400 1916 1,422,047 1917 1,247,989 . , 1918 905,175 "The coal tliat is being imported from Newport News by some of tha transports," said Mr. Gunu, "is a bituminous coal of high calorific value, which is known in America as Hew River coal. There was only one thing against it, and that was that it was' extremely friable, and liable to unload small. But several industrial firms to whom it had been supplied had. testified that the Newport coal was as good as any they had used; and were prepared to take as much of it as they could get, which bears out its reputation as a coal of high calorific value. There is no doubt that it is' a high-grade coal for steam-raiding purposes." Mr. Gunn said that the committee were about to establish a firewood' yard on Government land fronting the. Davis Street extension at Thormlon. Already a siding had been run into the new yard, and within a few days tifey hoped to be in a position' to supply firewood, which ■would be brought by rail from all parts of the country, from the Upper Hutt district mostly, at first, for the sake of convenience and to save lass of time.