COAL SUPPLIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1918, Page 5

COAL SUPPLIES.

INCREASED OUTPUT NECESSARY. By Telegraph.—Press Association, Wellington, Last Night. A statement by the Hdn. Myers on the position of coal supplies shows that the output in all New Zealand fpr 1910 was equivalent to 2,257,135 tons, against 2,008,419 tons for 1017. The importations in 1910 were 293,950 tons, against 291,597 tons in 1917. The reason the importations for 1917 favorably compare with 1910 is due to the fact that a sudstantial quality of Admiralty steam coal was made available at considerable expense. During January to June, 1918, the output was 952,1*18 tons, against.Bs4,l3o tons in the first half year of 1917, the importations for the same periods being 132,001 and 229,311 tons. From this it will be gathered, the Minister stated, that while the.output this year compares favorably with that of last year, the importations have considerably fallen off. This is iduo- to the fact that although every availably ton of shipping is concentrated on the carriage of coal, the amount of tonnage available is not sufficient to supplement the New Zealand output, and tffil mfeelt tho total consumption. The concentration of tonnage on coal from Newcastle! at the present time, which has been done of necessity, 'lias resulted in a. very largos accumulation of cargo in Australiawhich is destined for New, Zealand, representing many commodities of an urgent and essential nature to the welfare of the Dominion.

The Minister added that the impression that the railway stocks were substantial was erroneous, and those direetly concerned had been occasioned great anxiety. The Minister said the remedy for the present state of affairs was to secure an increased output from New ZeaUnd coalminerp, thus making New Zealand self-reliant in regard to this most essential commodity, and thereby releasing valuable tonnage now concentrated in bringing supplies from abroad.