ROOT OF TROUBLE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 135, 12 June 1929, Page 10

ROOT OF TROUBLE

WELLINGTON'S POSITION

GENERAL SHORTAGE

The coal position, as reflected in'reports from, the South, has a special significance for .Wellington, where there is a shortage every winter.' The main source of coal, Westland, has suffered from a combination of troubles, not the least of which has been a form of influenza, which, probably almost as much as anything else, has lessened the small winter output from the West Coast. There has, been trouble at Stockton, and .there is trouble at. Blackball now. There are, not wanting those who predict a widening of'the unrest on the Coast, but .inquiries made by a "Post" reporter to-day produced no evidence of. further trouble, whilo it was made plain that the shortage is partly due to influences outside the New Zealand mines -altogether. "There is none," was the reply of a merchant; to : day,: when asked what stocks of Newcastlo coal, were in Wellington. He had i received none since a small parcel arrived in February, as some of the mines at Newcastle have been idle for nine months, and others since February. His stock was exhausted three weeks ago. There does not seem much probability of any considerable - output. for export from Newcastle, for some time, as it would takeat least a month to' supply the local needs in Australia) supposing all the Newcastle mines■- immediately, commenced a full output.

There is another aspect of the position which has undoubtedly made the situation keener, and that is tliat the .Railway Department, which usually holds a large reserve of coaL has, probably through ; the position at Newcastle, not been\able to retain it, and is now very close ;to bedrock, so much so that it has been purchasing locally more than the usual admixture with Westpbrt, intensifying the shortage. One merchant stated that the Government itself was, procuring big shipments of coal from England, and that these were now on their way out. Up to the time.of going to press the Railway Department' was' unable ■to furnish a reply to the question as to what stocks of coal it actually-' held, or whether coal had been ordered from England, but from other, sources <it seems that the question of the purchase of English coal did not originate:from New Zealand. It is said that /when things were at their, blackest; at: Horn© in the coal industry,'a number of New Zealand merchants received offers, of North of England eoar of .excellent steam quality, landed here at prices below what the coal would, have, cost landed from any Dominion.port. : One of the reasons given, it is said, for the offers was that the writers understood that the New Zealand Government was in search of English coal.. The Railway Department has ordered coaf from Port Kembla, and' this, is expected to relieve its own position. ..■■.'..

Inquiries, showed that Wellington stocks of'any'sort at all are so short that it may be said no merchant has a .reserve, Tjut. that all are working from-day today. Other centres have nearer sources. The Huntly mines supply a, little coal to.local merchants, especially those who have hitherto relied on Newcastle, but the freight rate is 19s 5d per' ton, to' Wellington, aifd as the coal is purchased at the mine, there is no refund for the loss which occurs in transport, stated to be 10 per cent., a loss wliich : does not occur when coal is bought over the weighbridge from the ships here. Merchants generally find it har/ 1 to keep up, their supplies to-day. Tho Westp'ort Coal Company is short itself, and in view of the shortage of output from various causes, is in no position to assist others.