Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1901. THE PRICE OF COAL.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 18 March 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1901. THE PRICE OF COAL.

The efficient working of our coal mines, the securing of a supply at least equal to the unsolicited demand, and the retailing of fuel at a reasonable cost, is a question exciting a great deal of public attention in New Zealand at the present time In regard to the lirst question—the development of our coal measures in this district - there can be no doubt but that wo have just cause for complaint, and very good reasons for asking for an improvement. Then as to the supply, we all know that it has not been nearly up to requirements; and the price has been excessive. In regard to the latter wo require to go no further than Greymouth where residents have to pay from 20/- to 22/- per ton. It is, however, at the large centres of population that the subject is being eagerly discussed. The announcement of the Premier of the intention of Government to wm'k some t f our c al mines as state affairs, has evidently alarmed the coal dealers, and at Wo’Hngton a deputation waited upon him when the matter was talked over. Afterwards Mr S. Brown discussed the matter in the columns of the Wellington Post, The Premier subsequently interviewed by a Post reporter proved many cf Mr Brown’s statements to be falacious. Mr Seddon maintained that the statements made by Mr Brown were in keeping with many others emanating from a selfish class of persons. The State was administering several large dc-< partments, and experience had’proved that they were being run in the best interests of the people, and as cheaply as private enterprise cou’d run them.

If, for instance, the best privatelyowned railways were compared with those owned by the Government, it would bo found that the private lines were not as a rule worked as well as those belonging to the State, and their profits were not so largo. That, he thought, showed that Mr. Brown was wrong in his remark, “No State can run the thing as well or as cheaply as a private individual.” The coalhewers, Mr. Seddon pointed out, were paid at rates fixed under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and if the Government went in for State coalmining 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 the hewers at Westport was 2s lOd per ton, and the railway freight from the mine to the wharf was 2s a ton, making a total of 4s lOd per ton. The price of the coal on board the ship when she left Westport was 10s, of which 5s 2d apparently went to the coal company, and yet the retail price in Wellington was 38s and 40s. In fact, ho knew of a case in which a gent’oman living not far from Wel-liugton-terrace was actually called upon to pay 50s a ton. A flat contradiction was given by Mr. Seddon to the statement of one wholesale supplier that the c.rnl supplied for the Railway Department at 10s and 20s per ton was unscreened. He produced the tenders accepted by the Department, add pointed out that they were for screened coal. The Brunner Company’s contract price was 18s per ton, the Blackball Company’s was 18s 6d per ton, and the Westport Company’s was 21s Od per ton, all for screened coal. If the railways could get screened coal at those rates, delivered in Wellington, there was no reason why the Wellington people should have to pay so much as they were now paying. Touching the question of freights, Mr. Beddon said that the Union Company charged the Westcort Coal Company 5s 3d per ton to Wei ington, but outside shippers had to pay Gs per ton. The co-operative workers at Mokihinui had sent away 24.000 tons (not 8000 tons, as stated during Saturday's interview), and the freight charged in their case was Gs per ton. The railways last year took 80.000 tons of coal. It seems to us that Mr. Seddon has made out a very good case that will require more than can be advanced to break it down. Not only has coal been a monopoly, but the monopolists have retarded the natural development that should have been expected, and imposed prices that cannot be considered reasonable. It is high time a change was made.