The Daily News THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1904. STATE OWNERSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 186, 11 August 1904, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1904. STATE OWNERSHIP.

The scheme of nationalising industries has taken a fuiii hold of the Government of this colony, and now the Slate coal nvmo is producing coal in order to lower the cost to the consumer of this household commodity. In reducing the cost of necessities the Government has started on a system that will speedily wear down the theoretical opposition adduced. Strong complaints havo been made, however, in the House about the manner in which the product of the State mine is being dealt with. Messrs Barber and Taylor alleged on Friday last that the New Zealand Coal Company, a recently formed syndicate, had secured the whole of the first shipment, and that this firm was selling it at the ordinary price. Mr Barber declared that it was impossible for tho consumer to get any of the coal at all, and that was a course in direct opposition to the Intentions of the Legislature in passing tho act to enable the State to mine and sell coal. Mr Taylor remarked that the cost of coal was to have been reduced by the opening of the State coal mine, Tho Government was following a course which struck hiin as being most extraordinary. As far as he could estimate we had spent so far on the State collieries about £102,000, and tho estimated expenditure for this year was £51,380. That meant that we had undertaken an expenditure of over £150,000, and yet instead of retailing that coal directly to tine consumer at the cost of production plus the interest on tho expenditure, we were actually selling the output of the mines to private dealers, who would trallic in it at a profit toot would be fixed by their own ideas of what was right and proper. That was not what the House intended. He was sure it was not what the country thought would happen. 'The State Coal Mines Department, says the Evening Post, takes strong ixxeption to some of the statements made by Mr Barber. The department says that tho statement made by the member for Nowtown, that the first shipment had l>een acquired by a syndicate, is not-correct. Tho Post is officially informed that the syndicate referred to (tho New Zealand Coal Company) stands in exactly the same position as the other dealers, in so far. that it has not received, and will not receive, amy preferencc'in the matter of obtaining State coal. The department will' treat all alike, selling to each linn mid dealer (including tho syndicate) as much coal as is ordered .at a certain price. The department says that it experienced some •difficulty at first in inducing tho regular dealers in Wellington to order portions of the first shipment of coal, auo by tho steamer Kotuku. Tho New Zealand Coal Company, which has i;oen formed to deal only in State coal, and which has not, says the Post, any connection whatever with the deportment, undertook to purchase the whole of the first shipment, but the department, being anxious to have the coal in the hands of all the retailers, declined to accept tiho oiler until it was ascertained whether the latter would place any orders with the department. The dealers have now agreed to take about 300 tons of t/e Kotuku's cargo, and the balance will toe token by Ihe New Zealand Coal Company. Tho department also denies Mr Barber's statement that the New Zealand Coal Company intended to charge tho ordinary price for coal from the State mines. It says that the company in question has decided to retail the State coal several shillings cheaper that the price charged for other coal in Wellington, and it claims, therefore, that the object which the Government had in view In establishing the collieries, viz., the cheapening of coal to consumers, will ue attained. A candidate for Wellington municipal honours on Friday night advocated the estajblistiiment of municipal depots for the distribution of coal from the State mines at a reasonable cost. Incidentally ho remarked that the coal for which tho consumer was paying £2 and £2 us per, ton retail was put on Jxxard the ship at Westport for eleven shillings and landed at Wellington; for eighteen shillings a ton. He quoted figurea showing the profit made by coal companies, «ind said there was only one way of putting an end to this sort of thing, and that was by the people rising and denvamUing to be supplied more cheaply. They had heard of the syndicate lormed for the purpose of exploiting the coal taken from the State coal mines. The of Wellington ought to demand of the municipality that it should get supplies direct from the State mines. That was one of the planks of his pVntform, and for which he would light if returned. Tho Statu Coal Syndicate advertised Ithat it kept no other coal tout State coal, and it wusi asking 35s per ton. That coal was being landed at Wellington at IBs per ton. Tho candidate asked, Was it democratic, or in the interests of the people of th» colony that their coal, landed at His, should bo retailed at Ms, or even 30s a lon ? It is to 'bo hoped that when the Wellington people hu,vc .secured tiiwir sluue of the cheap fuel thev will urge on the Government the establishment «< similar depots iB vari'pus parts of Hie colony, so that the direct Un.-litK will mot be confined to u fi'W. O.N Till'! FOLKTJI I'AGH. Forestry. Literature. Slate Socialism. A Greenwich Komance. The West Australian Government was defeated yesterday on the Ad-■dress-in-Uoply. The old Taronaki Union banner ■' that bus braviKl a thousand years the battle and the breeze," torn, bedraggled, and neglected, but the pride of the "has-beens" and the boys of to-day, will make its appearance (after long seclusion) at the big football match on Wednesday next. With our present record it should be no hard matter to prevail on the ladies'to donate a new banner.