THE PRICE OF COAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 30 March 1917, Page 6

THE PRICE OF COAL.

THE POSITION REVIEWED. " HOW DISLOCATION MAY BE AVERTED. "The price 6T coal is to be advanced about 10 per cent, within a week or so. It is stated the in-, crease will be general throughout the Dominion." The above was the text of a Press Association message from Dunedin on March 20, and the following was a contributed article in the New Zealand Times, showing how the dislocation of the industry may be averted: Very few users of coal are aware that the outlook for the coal supplies of the Dominion at the present time is a matter of grave concern to those interested in the industrial life of the country.

The drain upon the coal supply by the Admiralty, the heavy deimand tor fuel by the transports, which are continually bearing away our young manhood to the battle front, coupled with that more potent factor, the "go slow" policy ,of the miners, who, knowing the power they possess owing to the shortage of labour to work the mines, are reducing the daily output to some extent, all tend in the direction of emphasising the difficulty of supplying the demand.

Notwithstanding that the Dominion is so bountifully provided with extensive seams of coal awaiting machinery and traction to bring it to the consumer, little has been done in the direction of utilising the deposits. Users, including the railways, have been largely dependent upon outside sources for their supplies, cargoes even from India and Japan having been requisitioned to fill up the gap.

Whilst there is more than sufficient coal at Newcastle, N.S.W., to supply all the requirements of the Dominion, the lack of shipping to carry it has brought us to the verge of a coal famine, and the outlook for the coming winter is a grave one for the community at large.

For some years past the greater portion of the coal carrying trade from Newcastle has been in the hands of the Union Company, few outside charters having been arranged. Now, whilst there is no objection to the "Union Company being the carriers for our requirement!) the company for some time past appears to have failed in the direction of supplying sufficient vessels for the purpose, and the outcome is such a general shortage as will make itself severely felt, unless something is done speedily. Already the Railway Department has taken the position seriously, and commandeered parts of cargo space from Newcastle, which action only accentuates the position for other industries. The problem is one for the Government to solve. Seeing that it is the largest consumer of coal, the arguments for State ownership of vessels —or at any rate of those carrying coal for the State's own requirements—is a valid one, and if adopted would relieve the tension considerably. There is now a Department for Munitions and Supplies to deal with this among other questions relating to industrial matters, with a Minister in charge, who should give consideration to the suggestion that the State obtain by purchase or charter sufficient vessels, suitable for carrying its own requirements, and so relieve a position which should never havelaeen created, and which is likely to become

more acute in the near future, unless handled promptly.