NEW STATE COLLIERY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 26 June 1944, Page 4

NEW STATE COLLIERY

Properties Of Company Acquired

The intention of the Government to acquire the coal-mining properties belonging to the Westport-Stockton Coal Company, Ltd., near Westport, was announced on Saturday by the Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb. He said that in future the colliery would be operated as a State coal mine. '

Mr. Webb said that underground mining operations which the company had been carrying on for over a year with financial assistance from the State wotild be continued, and in addition the preliminary work in connexion with open-cast mining would be pushed’ on with the utmost speed so as to ensure the maximum output and thus relieve the general coal position, specially in regard to railway supplies. The Government was concerned at the falling production of bituminous coal in the Buller field, -which had already affected railway transport and industrial activity, and threatened to gravely impede the war effort of the Dominion. A recent survey had revealed that the output from the Stockton field could be greatly increased under a vigorous developmental policy, and the Government had determined that it would not be in the public interest to defer action any longer, hence the decision to acquire the mine forthwith. The Minister said that though for many years attention had been called to the limited bituminous coal reserves in the Dominion and the need for the utmost conservation of those valuable resources, it. was only when the steady annual supply from Newcastle failed that the public realized the seriousness of the position. This was brought home forcibly by the difficulties experienced by gasworks, and railway services throughout the Dominion in the past year. “We are confident that the output from Stockton can be increased substantially within about one month.” added Mr. Webb, “and as this coal is suitable for railways and steaming purposes it will release other coals for gasworks which are nt present supplied by railways. The net. result will be a positive step in the direction of conserving the bituminous coal deposits and in improving the coal requirements of the railways, gasworks, industries anil the public generally.”