STATE COAL MINES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 13 March 1901, Page 4

STATE COAL MINES.

A Protest from Coal Dealers. (PKR PKESS ASSOCIATION.) Weilington, March 12. A number of coal dealers interviewed yesterday contended that the Government would not be able to carry on business as coal suppliers profitably, and denied that consumers were charged too much for their supplies. Mr Seddon, interviewed to-day, said that coal hewers were paid rates fixed under the Concilation and Arbitration

Act, and if Government went in for State coal mining it would have to pay the same rates as the present companies. He could not understand how it was that consumers in Wellington were paying so much for coal. The price paid to hewers at W r cstport was 2s 10,1 per ton and railway freight from (he mine to tho wharf was 2s a"ton, making a total of 4s lOd a ton. The price of coal on board ship when she left Westport was 10s of which os 2d apparently went to the Company; and yet the retail price in Wellington was 38s and 40s. He would like to be supplied with a detailed statement showing how the difference between the 10s a ton at the ship.s side at Westport and the enormous retail price was made up. In many instances the Premier admitted that the coal had to be delivered to retail customers living some distance from the city, but he failed to see that it was necessary to impose the present high turriff. In a great number of cases the coal had only to be sent short distances, and yet high prices were maintained"