COAL SHORTAGE LIKELY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 139, 29 June 1937, Page 10

COAL SHORTAGE LIKELY

Imports i| N-Z. Produclion is Not Sufficient MINISTER'S APPEAL (By 'Iele&raT>h— Press ABSOcistion.) GBpYMOHTH, Junji 27. Urging that the demaud for coal required the elimiuation of any stoppages in aupply, the Mwtt.er 0# j^iges XHon. ; P. 0. W^) dscussed with officials of ' the State Miners' TJuion tlie continuity \ of produotion. He aubsequently made | the following gtat.emeutJ-rr ) "There 36 ample gvidsnce %h&% the \ incxeas.ed pnr.chasing ppwg? q| the eom-. ] munity haa resulted in a substantial .1 increase in the consumptioa of coal. ; , Householders who during the deprewion were forced to reduc© their purcha?©s to ' ' a bag .f time are again ordering their ; reqnwements jn half-ton and one-ton lots. The improved conditioas in industry are also responsible for a greatly increaaed uff oi cogl for indqstrial power 3md heat, Pf.rticularly %porr tant ff th,e additional tonnage needed iby the Railwhy Department. "In ahort, the poaition .of the coal- ■ .yninrng industry haa completely changed during the past eighteeh months, so much that I am conyinced we ara. fljegdy faced with thp pcifsibiiijiy of a serious sh.ortfge, The Baiiway Department has encrofched cSnsiderably on .its reserves of coal to maintain its herviees. A number .of the coal companies aud the State Geal Mines Department are well hehind -in filliug xailway or.ders, and retailera of household coal in some distriets are complaaug of a shortage of Supplief. "The position is such that I have been approached to agr.ee t.o increased. importatipns p£ coal, I feel that such a step' would be most regrettablo, particu.larly in view of the depressed eom ditions in the -industry for a number of , years. It is obvioup, however, that thf | wheels of industry must be jkept tara.. ; ing, and uo home fireside must go shprt, If the coal caunpt be produced in New Zealaud, then it must be imported. "I app.eai to coal-mine owners and miners to take suph steps as will avoid the necessity of any action of thif nature. If sufficient eoal cannot be produced by the present staff, then the staff must he increased until no ablebodied miner remains out of faU-tjme employmefit. Uiiless the industry r.eaponds to my appeal (aud the employees as well as the employers havp a duty in this direction), I will have no -"--rmtiye but to concur in the increased imp.ortation of coal, an eventuality 1 have . for years done my utmost to provent. "In harmony with my appcai I have already requested the superint.ondent ,of : ihe 8tate Minep to emplpy additicnal miners, aufi action in this plifcctipn wiB be immediately taken, It is proppsod that should the usual summer reduction . in the coal trade warrant a reduction , in »ta2 the proyisions of the agreemeut ' already in existence wiil apply, ramely, the last to be put on will be the first to ! ;be put cff."