STATE COAL MINES.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 61, 13 March 1901, Page 2

STATE COAL MINES.

OBJECTIONS FROM AUSTRALIA,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, March 12. The Sydney Morning Herald, commenting on Mr Seddon’s proposal for a national coal mine, says that were nationalisation of mines to become tha recognised thing private enterprise of course would be ruined. The Government influenced by political pleasure would pay wages that no private owner could hope to pay. It concludes: “The proposer of the scheme does not seem to understand that there is no particular virtue in a Government of taxpayers and consumers being cne and the same. There is no saving in having money taken out of one pocket and put into the other.”

The Daily Telegraph, commenting on Mr Seddon’s proposal for a national coal mine, takes it that the proposal is only to provide under State control, coal for State use, but if producing it for the general market is undertaken the Government can beat all competi-. tors, even though it be at the cost of the taxpayers in general. It approves of providing a State supply, but considers the wider scheme has little to commend it. ■' 1 ;

VIEWS OF COAL-DEALERS.

POINTS RAISED BY THE PREMIER

WHY THE DIFFERENCE IN PRICE ? By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. A number of coal-dealers, interviewed yesterday, contended that Government would not be able to carry on the business of coal suppliers profitably, and they denied that consumers were being charged too much for supplies. Mr Seddon, interviewed to-day, said that the coal hewers were paid at rates fixed by the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and if the Government went in for State coal-mining it would have to pay the saiaae rates as the present companies. He could not understand how it was that consumers in Wellington were paying so much for coal. The pi-ice paid to°the hewers at Westport,was 2s 10d per ton, and the railway' freight "from the mine to the wharf was 2s. a ton, making a total of 4s 10d” a' ton. • The price of 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. 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, coal had to be delivered to retail consumers living some distance from f,he centre of the city, but he failed to see that it was necessary to impose the present higli tariff, as in a great number of cases coal had only to be sent short distances, and yet the high prices were maintained.