Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

THE COAL CRISIS

DOMINION'S DEPENDENCE ON

AUSTRALIA

A SERIOUS POSITION

PROPOSED DELEGATION TO AUSTRALIA

That in view of the serious position that has recently been disclosed regarding the coal supplies of this Dominion, the Government bo urged to send a delegation to Australia to inquire into the coal situation, and endeavour to make satisfactory arrangements with the coal mine-own-ers for a regular supply of Australian coal for New Zealand.

In submitting the above proposal at tho fortnightly meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Mr. A. F. Roberts called attention to tho very 6crious position of tho country in connection with its coal supplies. Ho said that few people had any idea how serious the position was until the recent stoppnge of tho municipal services. It might not be known to many' that practically all the oceangoing steamers now obtained their bunker coal in Australia. There wero no oceangoing steamers bunkered in Now Zealand as was tho case in former years. Every steamer which was going Home via Panama hnd to tako 3000 tons of coal. Most of tho steamers which called at Australian ports secured their bunker coal thero, and if they had any room to spare they brought over coal to bunker vessels here. The Government Railways Department was tho largest user of Newcastle coal, which at present was being used exclusively. Tho railways required. 10,000 tons of coal per week. Mr. Massey, in referring to the Newcastle coal i>osition, had said that the reply he had recoived from tho Commonwealth Government was satisfactory "as far as it goes." Mr. Roberts did not like tho phrase, and he thought that something more definite should be obtained from Australia. The tonnago problem had been got over-there were now more ships , than they could fill -with coal. Sweden, he understood, had given ft largo order for Nowcastlo coal. The order was said to be 25,000 tons. New Zealand was paying 17s. 9(1. per ton for coal at Newcastle, nnd Sweden was paying 225. 6d. and 255.; so that unless they were prepared to pay ns much as their competitors they could not expect tp get the coal thev required. At present the Government had a monopoly of coal loaded in Newcastlo by New Zealand ships; that was to say, if a ship was loaded in Newcastle for one of the freezing companies', the coal was controlled by tho Coal Committeo in so far that any portion of the cargo could be tnken by tho Government for necessary purposes. It was quite right that this should bo so. Tho Coal Committee had done excellent work for tho Government and the country. Coal could be obtained from South Africa, but it was too dear, and the quality was not what they wanted. Japanese coal was high in price, but ho thought it necessary to get our coal supplies from within tho Empire. (Hear, hear.) It wa» that supplies of American coal were being exported lo ■Great Britain; if that, were tho case, thore -was no ohnnce of getting supplies there. These Teasons had suggested, to him tho advisability of sending a delegation to Australia. A personal interview was worth dozens of letters nnd cables, and tho delegation would do in a short period of timo what correspondence might never do. In the first place, however, the delegation woi.ld have to secure a dofinito assurance trom tho Government that tho tonnago would bo available to lift such coal as could bo secured. Its first mission would be to interview tho Commonwealth Government authorities, and point out to them that Now Zealand had always been one or Australia's best customers for coal, that this country wished to continue to be so, and that il was up to Australia to do their best for their old customers before supplying foreign countries, so long as they wero prepared to pay whai others were, offering. They must be prepared to pay market rates. Then the delegation would have to get into touch with tho coal mine-owner 6, and try to make reciprocal arrangements between them, so that when one mine closed down they could get supplies from others. Tho chairman of the delegation, ho suggested, should be tho chairman of the Board of Trado (Mr. W. G. M'Donald), who should bo accompanied by the members of tho Coal Committee. Captain Petersen seconded tho motion. He thought they should do what they could to havo a coal supply assured until thw could do better with their own coal. The president, who heartily supported tho motion, congratulated Mr. Roberts on vho thorough way in which he had gone into the question. Mr. H. D. Dennett, also in sympathy with tho motion, thought they should ccusider the best way to got coal out of their own country. If they did not attempt it, who was to do so? Tho motion was passed unanimously, and it was decided to forward copies of the resolution to the Prime Minister, and to tho chambers of commerce in the other centres.

STATE MINERS' STOP-WOES MEETING. By Telegraph-Press Association Greymouth,-August 30. The State Miners' Union, at a stopwork meeting to-day, passed a resolution delegating full power to the e\ecutivo of the Miners' Federation to deal with tho present disputo. The following further resolution *ns cairied unanimously:—"That this meeting of the State Miners' Union places on record its whole-hearted appreciation of the New Zealand Labour Party's atHon in cabling Home congratulations to tno British Labour movement on its magnificent fight against the capitalists of Britain, declaring economic snd military war against Soviet Russia. Furthermore, evory sentiment expressed in <he cablegram of the New Zealand Labour Party to tho British' Labour Party meets with cur whole-hearted approval, and in the event of war being declared t>£ Soviet Russia by the forces of Britisn capitalism we pledge ourselves to join with tho Labour movement in Great Britain, and if necessary to resort to direct action in order to.j>rovent further slaughter in tho interests of Imperialists and ceottalism.'*

THE TROUBLE AUIIE MINES MR. HALLY'S RECOMMENDATION. No new development was reported in tho coal dispute yesterday. The miners appear to be going slow at all the important mines. There is ground for believing that the Miners' Federation intends to order a striko in the event of tho dispute not being settled speedily. The miners do not wish to pursuo Hie "go-slow" system, with its resultant loss of wages, for another lengthy period. The matters in dispute are of small importance but neither side is willing at the moment to give way. Mr. I'. Ilallv, who was deputed by the Government to investigate the disputes, is now returning to Wellington, and is expected to arrive here this morning. He has made inquiries regarding tho dismites at the Taratu and Green Island mines, and ho is likely to have recommendations to make to the Government. The mine-owners havo indicated thoir willingness to nccept the recommendations'; whatever they may boj the representatives of the miners have demanded so far their own interpretation of the agreement at all points. The secretary of tho Miners' lederation (Mr. ,f. Arbuckle) stated yesterday, in regard to the Taratu dispute, that "it was tho company who wanted a reduction of threepence, in pillar work. Tie asserted that "it was tho company that hart introduced fresh contentious matter, not. tho federation.' The conditions of work at the Taratu mino, as n matter of fact, were ectthd at a conference of the pnrtic. The miners have reopened the question by claiming that n nart of the settlement was based on Faulty information. The owners aio willing to abide by (ho terms agreed upon. Mr. Arbuckle also slated that "when Mr. Ilallv and Mr. O'lfourko, president of the Miners' Federation, met tho coalowners in (he South, Mr. O'Rourke offered lo accent the decision of Mr. Hallv, but the owners declined to allow Mr.

Hally to adjudicate, and wanted tho case to go before a Magistrate." The owners regard this as an inaccurate statement of tho position. They imvo stated repeatedly that they will accept the decision of any impartial arbitrator. They hove already accepted Mr. Hally's recommendations in'evcry cue where the miners were prepared to do the same.

PROSPECTS OF^EHLEMENT ME. HALLY THINKS THEY ABE GOOD. By Teleernnh-Prens Asinclatlon Dunedin, August 30. Mr. P. Hally, member of tho Board of Trade, has now completed his investigations concerning the coal mining disputes at Green Island, Taratu, and Mntaura. The mine owners have agreed to accept -Mr. Hally's decision en tho merits of the dispute, and he is returning to Wellington in order to confer with representatives of the Miners' Federation. Asked as to the prospects of a settlement, Mr. Hally said: "I will risk tins prophecy: I think tho prospects cf a settlement are good." 'VESSELS HELD UP BY SHORTAGE. Ry Telegraph--Press Association. Dunedin, August 30. Owing to the coal shortage the Union Company has decided to withdraw the Monowni from tho East Coast service. On her arrival at Dunedin this week fhe will lay up at Port Chalmers indefinitely Tho Mnraroa, which has been reconditioned for the Napier-Auckland service, is also held up at Port Chalmers owing to the coal shortage PRICE INCREASED IN AUCKLAND. Fy Telegraph—Press Aisocist'on. Auckland, August 30. Coal for household use will soon bn (IBs. 3d. a ton in Auckland, for the local Coal Dealers' Association has decided to hand on the recent increases in cost of their supplies to the jonsumer. Tho Board of Trade has already authorised an increase of Is. per ton on Waiknto conl to meet the rising-•>. expenditure. This is in addition to the new schedule of railway freights, which are staled to involvo an advance of iif.tecupenco per toa in the cniiingc of fuel.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200831.2.56

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 289, 31 August 1920, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,626

THE COAL CRISIS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 289, 31 August 1920, Page 6

THE COAL CRISIS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 289, 31 August 1920, Page 6

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert