BURN N.Z. COAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 663, 15 May 1929, Page 10

BURN N.Z. COAL

RAILWAYS SUPPORT LOCAL INDUSTRY LOWER IMPORTATIONS “It is pleasing to see that the present Government is continuing the policy of its predecessor in the use of New Zealand instead of imported coal on the railways,” said the Hon. E. W. Alison, chairman of directors of Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., in presenting the annual report and balance-sheet at the annual meeting to-day. He quoted from a copy of the railways statement for 192 8, in which, the policy of the Railways Department was outlined as follows: "It is the Government’s policy to use upon the railways as large a proportion of New Zealand coal as can be warranted by the general economics of the fuel situation from time to time. The following figures supply convincing proof that the Government has succeeded in its special efforts to make New Zealand coal the principal fuel in use on the railways. Year. N.Z. Imported, of N.Z. 1924- .. 94,351 313,107 23 1925- . - 85,393 275,07fi 23 1926- .. 187,793 193,161 49 1927- .. 288,646 152,025 65.5 “It will be seen from these figures that the percentage of New Zealand coal used by tlio railways rose from 23 in 1924-25 to 65£ during the last year. At the present time the department is buying all the bituminous coal it can procure from the New Zealand mines, in addition to the maximum quantity of native brown coal that it can burn. Waikato coals are being used to the limit of practicable consumption.” The Hon. E. W. Alison also quoted a statement made by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. W. A. Veitch, at a recent gathering in Hamilton. The Minister said that it was possible for New Zealand to produce all the coal the country required, and that it was bad policy to import any coal He pointed out that whereas in 1927 the importation of coal amounted to 378.090 tons, in 1928 it had fallen to 248,052 tons —a decrease of 130,038 tons, or more than one-third*