CARRIAGE OF COAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 711, 10 July 1929, Page 10

CARRIAGE OF COAL

MORE ROLLING-STOCK WANTED COAL-OWNER S REQUEST I (THE SUX'S Parliament cry Reporter) j fi, WELLINGTON, Tuesday. As the result of a request made by I a deputation representing the Coal Mine Owners’ Federation of New Zealand, the Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. B. Taverner) promised today ,an investigation by railway officials into the supply of rolling-stock for the mines, and also said that on the railway estimates for this year there was i provision for extra rolling-stock. | though not to the extent the depart- j raent would like, because of the eco- ; nomic situation of the day. Mr. W. A. Flavell, general manager. j Westport Coal Company, spoke of the ; disabilities under which the com- ; panies laboured because of the short- j age of railway wagons. He suggested that railway officers, together with the mine owners, should investigate the situation, with a view to altering the allocation Qf wagons. Of course, the only remedy for the shortage was the increasing of the amount of rollingstock. Mr. Christie (Grey Valley) said that at certain periods of the year, notably when the trucks were wanted for seasonal purposes, the Dobson mine was idle through the shortage. He maintained that preference should be given to the coal industry, as it was so important in Xew Zealand. Mr. White (Waikato) spoke of the enforced waiting time in the Waikato when th£ collieries were standing by for supplies of trucks. Mr. J. Dennehy, representing the Railway Department, said that a conference between representatives of the department and the coal owners would be welcomed. The Minister said that the position had caused the department a good deal of difficulty, and that a good deal of investigation had been carried out in the past few months, with the result that difficulties had been relieved somewhat. The shipping companies had been J stopped from holding up loaded ; wagons. “The railways are not a j storage department,” said the Minister; “they are a transportation dej partment.” The department was out to assist the coal industry, as it recognised that Xew Zealand needed every ton of the output. The estimates now being considered provided for a considerable increase in the amount of rollingstock. In this direction, the Government was not able to do as much as the department would like, because of ; unforeseen circumstances. Some of | the wagons, however, were now being j constructed. The Minister hoped for : a furthr increase in rolling-stock next ! year. He would be pleased to have departmental officers investigate the posij tion.