INDIAN COAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16484, 25 February 1914, Page 7

INDIAN COAL.

.« A USELESS FUEL.

TROUBLE ON THE RAILWAYS. [From Our Correspondent.] . , WELLINGTON, February'24.

The Railway Department arranged with the employers’ comjnitt.ee during the height of the waterside workers’ strike to take substantial ■ consignments of South African-and Indian coal, but the somewhat unexpected collapse of hostilities resulted in thousands of tons of foreign fuel being thrown on their hands simultaneously with the arrival of plentiful supplies from the West Coast and' Auckland mines. The Department is in a dilemma. It ordered the coal and might under different circumstances have been heartily glad to get every available ounce to ; carry on a make-shift service, but the stuff is of such inferior, quality, that serious, difficulties .are. ,experienced in keeping , up the -nojmal running with ,its aid.. The > State Coal Department : is taking some of the'redundant supply for its retail business,' though consumers quickly discover the difference and complain. At the railway workshops in Petone there has been great difficulty in keeping up steam pressure in the stationary boilers, hut .this has been a trifle compared with the trouble on the trains. Someone who evidently has inside knowledge writes to the local Press putting the following pertinent questions: "Ask the traffic manager .what was the cause of the delay to the Auckland express at Paekakariki the other day, also the Napier—Wellington train. Ask the manager of the railway shops at Petone why they stop work to. have a ‘ blow up ’ every tjvo or, three hours.” The same writer declares' that this Indian coal is going a long way towards placing the engines on tiio scrap-heap and that it is sapping the strength of the firemen on the railways. In the first place it will not make steam and goes "dead.” in the firebox; in the second place it means drawing (or taking out) the fire and making a fresh one every fifteen to twenty miles- (this takes an: hour at- least) :■ and thirdly it is going to cause "leaky tubes” and, endless other troubles. "What of the men?” the writer asks. "Well, just you ask any locomotive man. At present they are going off duty completely knocked up every day and others are talking of resigning. Why? Because they find it is impossible to make the. engines steam and keep time with this Indian rubbish that a wise Indian railway management will not use.”