COAL SHORTAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10291, 28 May 1919, Page 5

COAL SHORTAGE

FURTHER STATEMENT THE RAILWAYS NOT TO BLA-ME. The Hon. A. Myers, Minister-in-Charge of coal distribution, was seen yesterday by a representative of the “Times" with reference to a recentlypublished article in which the sng gestion was made that people were short of coal, not so much because there is less hewed coal in the country, but because huge quantities ale being taken for tho railways. Mt ;\l vers stated that this was not th • position, and expressed sin prise view of the recent pubheauon o figures showing the combined outputs and importations for the period IMj to 1918, inclusive, and the ejidenc given last week before the Industries Committee in respect to the of miners and decreased output of New Zealand mines, particularly from West Coast mines—that such a statement should have been made. It orto to remove any misapprehension on the point, he desired to restate tnenguiea, which are as follow:

Combined Outputs and Importation*. Tons--1<)I5 2,062,Uy5 line 1017 2,860,016 1918 2,078,626

Compared with 1914, said the Minister. the figures foi 1918 cUsolose » shortage of 715,037 tons, of u 1 629,138 tons is a shortage in the hard coals produced in New Zealand. H will thus be seen how the l’ r f s ® n shortage of coal for industrial and domestic use has taken place, as the total coal available for 1914 represented about the normal requirements for maintaining the Dominions industries, public services, and trade tequir ments. In order that the public may have some idea of: the coal required to maintain the public services and primary industries of the Dominion, the figures are stated hereunder: Tons. Railways : - Bunkering requirements 440 000 freezing works ...... tfO.UOO Gas works Electric light and power 70.000 , ■

The industries and services enumerated above require almost exclusively hard coal to carry on their activities; therefore the difficulty there is in making full provision for the domestic and other requirements of the Dominion on the balance available —898,626 tons apbo readily underSt disregard to the statement that the railways have been building up stocks of coal to the detriment of householders, Mr Myers said that the present position with regard to, railway stocks was causing the gravest anxiety, and if the position dis( not improve, a further curtailment of the train seryices now provided mighfr he looked for. , Referring to the statement that inferior coal has lately been landed by steamers engaged in the, .NewcastleNew Zealand trade, the Minister pointed out that" sincec/tbe, .Commonwealth authorities had taken over the control of the Newcastle mines, all coal for export is provided by them, and steamers have to take whatever coal is available, quite irrespective of orders placed with the respective collieries by importers. He was not aware of any inferior coal having been landed ex Waihora, as stated : although, possibly, coal had been loaded at Newcastle from certain mines that have not usually been in the habit ■of -supplying New Zealand requirements;' "But this is a matter over which the Government have no control under the conditions now obtaining at Newcastle. In respect to the American coal recently landed ex Raranga, Mr Myers stated that the bulk of this coal was absorbed by freezing works, public institutions, and railways, and, only a limited quantity was taken into stock for retailing to householders. Reports as to its quality os a domestic fuel were generally of a satisfactory nature, and the public should realise that the department, in arranging for these shipments of oversea coal, had done so in order to augment the supplies available, and to assist in relieving the present acute shortage within the Dominion.