STATE COAL MNIES

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1536, 18 August 1905, Page 4

STATE COAL MNIES

(Per Press Association.) Wellington, yesterday. “ Yoslorday's Bitting of the Coni Mines Board of Euquiry was takon up with the hearing of evitlonoo oonoorning retail distribution and tho mixing for nousobold purposes of various kinds of oonl. Alexander MooDougall, managing agent for tho Stuto mines in Wellington, reoallcd, stated that ho did not know, as a goneral rulo, customers wanted coal mixed. At any rato bu would nay that Government did not wont State ooal mixed with any other kind. Ho would not advise the State to soil thoir ooal for mixing purposes to Mr tiroon. Ho had nothing to soy if tho chief mechanical ongineor said that tho best results woro obtained by mixing Stnto coal. Ho objooted to supplying State ooal for mixing when ho could not get onougb of it to supply those who wantod only Slate coul. Tho ovidonoo submitted to tho Commission as to tho mixing of ooal was not untruthful; but mixing was not gonoral. Tho stoppogo of tho Boddonvillo mine was simply duo to tho fact that they were not producing there ooal suitable for ooußumors. There wob u loss of from 5s to 7s por ton. This was very serious. Witness quotod figures showing that thoro woro practically continuous arroars in orders for railway ooal sines last April, At proscut data even thoro were 8285 tons in arrears. Thoro wore 2100 of fresh order In addition to 1000 tons on ordor for private pooplo. It was no good witness pushing private orders whilst tho mines woro so much in arroar in supplying tho State railways, Tho present system of working tho Slate mines was rotton, and until the Mines Department took them in band thero would bo no improvement. By hav ing the bead office in Wellington matters would be greatly improved, Tho office expenses woro very heavy uuder the present system, and oould be reduced. The cost of produoing Stato ooal was Is por ton more than tho cost of produoing ofhor coal. Dunoau Campbell, obief olerk to 1 the managing agent, stated that tbo system of book-keeping in connection with State ooal mines frequently oroateS great delay in the matter of adjustments as between Wollington and Greymouth. Tho whole system now was cumbersome and unbusinesslike. It would bo better if she Greymouth offioe, so for aB book-keeping was concerned, was shifted to the Mines Department in Wellington.