Miners To Help Manage The Mines

Chronicle (Levin), 8 November 1948, Page 5

Miners To Help Manage The Mines

Press Associationi

y (Per

A UCKLAXD, Nov. 7. Further steps toward seeuring worker }>art ieipation in the management of the Waikato eoal tniiies, were deseribed by the Ministerof Mines. Mr. McLagan, in Huntly 011 Saturday when opeiung the new miners' liostel. He said he had just had a meeting with rejiresentatives of the Miners' Eldon, the management and Deputies' I'nion. He was verv pleased with the support given to the proposal by the representatives of the various liodies and lioped that nidividual niembers would also give thei'r support. " We want the miners, as partou ners of puliliely owned mines, to feel that they really are part-owner.s, " saiij the .Minister when explaiping that he was seeking to enable the nien to have a voiee in the management of their own iiidustrv. "We Avant to have the OeneJil of their experienee and knowledge of iiiining not for our benelit and jHOlit only but also for the beneltt of everybodv and eertainly of the miners t iiemsel ves. ••1 arn eonlident that this is the only wav we eau make a coniplete sueeess of the publie ownership of the niining iiidustrv, ' ' said Alr. McLagan. "I am sure we ean do a joh here in this distriet and elsewhere, tliat will be in the. inlerests of the country and of everv moa, woman and ehild here." The Uovernnumt had re.gained possession for the people of niost of tlio larger .mines in the Jloiuiuion, added the Minister. There were only a few remaining in private ownership and he t honglit the time was not f'ar distant when they wonld beeonie publie propertv, fair eonipensation being paitl. "\V? are settipg up a I'hair of Coal Mining at the Otago Sfdiool of Mines and we intend to yistitute a system of bursaries to enable the sons of miners to get training in the technica] and administ rative side of the ind^trv, " said the -Minister. "They will be able not only to train in New Zealand but also 10 go abrond and study tlie newest developnients of mining ovprseas. At oue time a minor's prineipal ambition was to ensure that liis sons did not have to follow him into the mines," said Mr. MeLagan. "Todav a niiner niav he proud to have his sQps beeotn.e miners with him and there ip an opportunity for tliem to rise tO tlie highept administrative positions in the industry. The Government intends to make it much easier for them to- qualify teehnieally t'han ever it has been. We want to eneourage young fellows in this, ' '