THE COAL QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1919, Page 5

THE COAL QUESTION.

CONTROL OF SUPPLIES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, April 4. Tie Hon, A. M. Myers states that New Zealand in 1914 used Approximately 2,800,000 tons of coal, in IMS all that was available to meet the increased consumption from all sources was 2,100,000 tons. Although this 28.57 per cenf shortage existed official control over distribution was such as to prevent any industry from stopping for want of coal. Over 6,000,000 tons of coal had bean delivered throughout New Zealand under the supervision of the department- At the moment the problem is how to make, provision for next winter. Given reasonable opportunities the Minister who is retaining control over coal distribution hopes to see the important public utilities carrying reasonable supplies, by the end of May npJrt, after which the intuition is to st-p that the people get all Hip WestCoast coal that the miner* can turn out for thsm. ?jy this menns, if the output only continues normal, it is hoped that all"homes will be provided with coal by the miners. THE COAL SHORTAGE. Westport, Last Night. With regard to the complaint from Christchurch of the coal shortage, Mr. Donald Mackenzie, a member of the Westport Borough Council and an aspirant for a seat on the Westport Harbor Board, points out that the root of the trouble lies with the Government not linking up Westport with the immense coal fields in the Buller and Inangahua Valleys and the Buller Gorge. The railway only requires extending for about fourteen miles to open up what, apparently, is the largest and most easily worked coalfield in New Zealand. Mr. Mackenzie contemplates stumping the Dominion on the iron and coal questions. He contends that the folly in the past in regard to the iron Industry has been in taking the coal to the iron ore, instead of the iron to the coal, and illustrates this by what has happened in Australia and England.