THE NEWCASTLE COAL TRADE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 36, 23 August 1864, Page 2

THE NEWCASTLE COAL TRADE.

The following memorial (says trie Argus) will be forwaMed- to-day '(l3th) to the Minister to whom it, is addressed, and- it;, remarks that -"trie] 5 'prayer of the petition is so reasonable,! that; lt^is difficult to. see how?it can be'refus6d.f ; ....... („ . ,■:•■.-... -;;..■:. ■ ' ; ■■' ■' ■'-■-" Melbourne, Aug. 10---."To the Hon. Arthur T. • Holroyd,^ Minister of ■'■■ j ,t ,• ';.;,«{ "Works, New South -Wales. , .i-y^-- -j f<Sir,~We, the 1 • undersigned' Merchants, "ship-""' owners, and others, interested in the trade of the : port of Newcastle, have observed with satisfaction the replies: given to a deputatioir which recently" waited on you, relative to the increased facilities required for the sliippnig at that port, j . "In' furtherance of trie object of thatdeputa^ tion,, iwe "beg- (to submit to -you the \ following facts : — •.•(/>'■• i " The present importation of : coal from Newcastle to this port is. about 160,000 tons per annum; ; against 93,000 toris in the year 1863, and this quantity, is likely to-b e -increased year 'by I year. .•■;«•, „ '.■■■'■■' " There is also a large fleet of steam colliers now here and' on the vtray put. from England, which, with reasonable facilities 'in' Newcastle, will be put into .the trade, but which _mu3ti.be, employed elsewhere, or. sent home again, if the present detention continues. " There are 1 now engaged in this trade 350 ships, valued at £100,000. The loss by trie present detention in Newcastle is estimated at £72,000 per annum, yet the charges of the porf of ■ Newcastle,, for purposes of revenue, are higher than at any other coal port in the world., . ■••; " Believing that trie remedies are those stated by the deputation referred to, namely— lncreased wharfage room,' additional c'raries, facilities' for discharging ballast, resumption by the Government of the .yaluable . land recently occupied bythe Coal and Copper Company j and its advantages being made available for the general trade of the port — we desire most respectfully to urge this important subject upon your immediate attention, and have the honor to be, Sir,' your obedient humble servants. [Then follow the signatures of nearly fifty mercantile firms].