Minister Pleased At Coal Output

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1948, Page 3

Minister Pleased At Coal Output

T / VJ ''p'ress; ks^oSiationJ

'■ . W KLL1N GTON, June 2. The Minister of illnes, kl r. ilcLagan, a^nnounced today that the production of coal, for April showed aii increase of 51,893 tons compafed ivith tiie.rQutput t'or April, 1947. Fof the four nionths, . cnded , April, .the total production w;as . 80, 385 tons Iiigher than for tlie corresponding four nionths last year. ' ■ Tlie greater part of tliis increase lias 'been obtained from underground mines, which for four moiiths showed an increase of 77,336 tons compared with the lirst four nionths last year. The Minister said the increased output for April was particularly gratifving because it was tlie lirst month during which tlie 7-liour day -had been in operatiou. As oue of the conditions of the institution of the 7-liour day, the uiiners pledged thernseh'es to use every efl'ort to maintain the output of coai. They liad not only kept their pledge but had actually, with the shorter working day, also succeeded in making a splendid increase in output. This was very gratifying indeed and was a complete answer to the Government 's critics who had been unsparing in their condenmatiou of the 7-liour day. The production for April, i948, was 248,754 tons compared wkith 196,861 tons for April, 1947. For the four months ended April, tlie total production amoimted to 899,922 tons compared witli 814,539 tons for tlie correspohding period last year.