WESTPORT GOAL TRADE,

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2607, 15 September 1909, Page 4

WESTPORT GOAL TRADE,

MANUFACTURE OF BRIQUETTES,

TPer PbS23 Association.] WESTPORT, Sept. 14. The Stockton coal trade is improving several good orders having been received for “slack” for gas-making and smithy purposes. Hitherto the difficulty has been to got rid of the slack. Mr. Shackleton, who came to Westport under arrangement with the Government to introduce a new' process in coal briquetting, has had a considerable number of briquettes turned out, and they look to be a very good sample. To a “Westport News” reporter he stated that he (Mime over to Westport under engagement by the Government to do a eertain thing, and he had been entirely successful. He had --g not had to alter his formula in the r slightest degree. After making the first lot of briquettes he handed over the affairs to the manager of the briquette works, and he had turned out briquettes similar to his own samples, without anv trouble whatever. The process ensured better fuel, smokelessness being one of its virtues, and the cost of binding was reduced one half. A gentleman intimately connected with the local coal trade made a protest to-day against the statement by the Minister of Railways, that coal required for railways could not be supplied from Westport. He stated that on the Westport line unscreened coal was used on the locomotives w'ith the most satisfactory results, although the locomotives had to draw long lines of trucks laden - with coal to port. His idea was that the Railway Department wanted screened Westport ooal to mix with inferior coal from the State mine. He thought the remedy ought to be for the coal-owners not to supply screened coal at all.