The Price of Coal.

Manawatu Herald, 8 February 1902, Page 2

The Price of Coal.

Mr P. J. O'Rcgan writes to the N.Z. Times:—On perusing Mr D. J. Nathan’s address at the Chambers of Commerce Conference I was surprised to find that he ascribes the prevailing high price of coal to the labour of producing it. The wages paid the coalhewers is iid per ton or thereabouts—have not been increased of htte. ' According to officiahevidence, the cost of coal at the Denniston “brake-head" is 73 per ton; on board the steamer at Westport ns, though, presumably, that figure will be slightly below the present price, in face of the late in- 1 crease. When it is remembered that coal in Wellington costs the consumer considerably more than tbree times the price on board, the steamer at , Westport, it will be seen that the hewer’s labour is but a very small element in the cost, and Mr Nathan's statement can only hold good if he refers to the cost of labour in Wellington, which is scarcely probable. Mr Nathan's official position lends a certain semblance of credibility te his statements, and hence this correction. In conclusion allow me to point out how anomalous the present position is. In spite of an increased local output of coal, our imports from Newcastle show a continuous increase, and the price keeps gradually rising. Yet we have on tbe West Coast immense coal resources as yet untouched. As I have long since contended, a State coalmine would be a most efficient corrective for this anomaly. There is in con- * nection therewith scarcely anything in the nature of an experiment j but there is the certainty of success. In spite, however, of recent legislation, which was generally understood to have placed the question beyond the pale of controversy, the Government nowseems to be e ngaged in - that irritating performance colloquially known as “ backing and filling.” ’ _. .j