THE COAL QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1921, Page 3

THE COAL QUESTION.

EFFECTS OF THE GO-SLOW POLICY. HEAVY IMPORTATIONS. States the Minister for Finance in his annual Statement:The total output of the Dominion mines for the year amounted to 1,843,70-) tons, as against 1.547,R4S tone for a decrease of 4143 tons. Importations reached *i total of 647,077 tons as compared with 455,494 tons imported last year—an increase of 191,583 tons. In order to supplement local and Australian supplies the Railway Department arranged for a considerable quantity of coal from other sources, and this has permitted larger allocations to be made for essential industries and other public services. The following table chows the output of bituminous and semi-bituminous coal from 1914 to 1920 inclusive, also importations for the same period: —

The falling-off in output (as ehown above) for last year when compared I with the previous year amounted to 37,532 tons, but it will be observed that there has been a steady decline from i 1914 onwards, with the exception of the ;year 1916, which showed an increase of ! 17.674 tons over the preceding year. The figures for the current year chow an improvement in the production of ! bituminous coal, and if work continues ‘ uninterruptedly at the various mines on the West Coast the Dominion in the near future will be less dependent on i outside sources of supply. I have been very glad to nqtice that our coal-mines are practically all at i work, and that a very fine spirit pre- ! vails among our miners, who are anxious to supply New Zealand industries and homes with New Zealand coal. I In a very short time the contracts which have been made for the supply of coal I from other countries will have come to 'an end, and I trust we shall then be producing enough for our requirements.

X.Z. Mines. Import. Year. Tons. Tons. 1914 1.494,315 518,070 1915 1.404.400 353,471 UU6 1422,074 293.956 1917 ..... 1.247,989 291,597 1918 1.122,308 255,332 1919 961,107 455,494 1920 923.575 647,077