THE COAL PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 245, 10 July 1919, Page 5

THE COAL PROBLEM

THE VIEWS OF LABOUR STATE OWNERSHIP CRITICISM OF WORKING METHODS The opinions of the Federation of Labour on tho coalmining problems were given to Ministers by Mr. H. Holland, M.l'.. and Mr. li. Semple, M.P., sptaklnsr for a Labour deputation which waited on representatives of the Government yesterday.

Mr. liolland said that the opinion of tile federation was that all the means ot production, sea carriage, and distribution of coal should be m the hands of the State, and that the whole- enterprise should bo controlled by a board, on which there should be adequate representation of tho workers in the industry, lie did not approve of the proposal of the Board of Trad* for semi-private control, with State-guaranteed dividends to the stockholders. Some of the mines had never paid dividends. It was not suggested by the federation that the Government shoiiid take over all the mines, but only those which had a hope of a reasonably long life. Olio of the causes of the present coal famine was the lack of any systematized control of the coalmining industry. Even the State mines, he declared, had been used for making profits rather than for tho purpose of producing coal for the people. The State mines, however, did provide better tor the workers than the other mines iii the matter of housing, in the township ot Eunanga, at awy rate. If the industry were properly organised it would cmploy twice the number of men. There was no shortage of coalminers in this country. Hundreds of men who had been miners were now doing other work above ground. Those who /(ad beeii to the war would not go back into th« nimes. No man would go back to work m these private mines if they could do without.

• JR'nes Allen: Why don't they go into tho State mines now? Mr. Holland said that the State mines could not take them. Men were being put ,oft at the Point Elizabeth mine, they were asked to go into the Rewanui ?, lln v ! lut 'hey would not go because of the living conditions there, and tho walk every day from Runanga was too laborious. lie suggested that tho men should be enabled to live in Runanga, and to get to wrok on tho hilltop at Rewanui by an electric hoist.

, Mr. Soil)pie said that a very unfair impression had been created regarding the miners in connection with the present shortage of coal. He declared that tho miner in New Zealand had produced more coal during tho war period than ever before. He agreed with Mr. Holland that tho report on the coal industry did not go far enough. He claimed that ho knew something about the mining industry. The worst evil in tho country in connection with the industry was tho methods by which tho coal was won, Tlio coal mines wore, not worked: they wero "butchered." Every manager was compelled to get profits, oven in his first year, and the result of this forcing policy was tliat pillars were extracted from mines long before they should be, with tho result that the mine was worked out too soon, and thousands and thousands of tons of coal wero lost. He could point' to more than ono mine in which losses had occurred by I his pol. icj, and li'o named mines which hail been closed down because of it—absolutely ruined. Private ownership of tho coal mines of a country was, ho said, a very dangerous and wicked proposition. The miners did not want tho industry controlled in their interests alone,. but they wanted to point out somo of the mistakes that hail been mado. Ho was particulary anxious that something should be dono to relievo tho present position, although ho did not- think much good would conio of tho proposals of the Christchurch deputation to employ inexporienccd men in tho mines. (The Christchurch deputation made no such suggestion,) The miners were without doubt leaving tho minefields. They wero to be mot in all parts of tho country, liavjng found that they could get better wag-'S and better living conditions elsewhere. Ho did not wish the impression to go abroad that they wero anxious to injure tho community m tho interests of tho minors. He felt that tho Stato had a duty to the miners,' and that when tho Stato had fulfilled its duty, the miners had a duty to the State. . Ihe'lTon! AV. D. S. Mac Donald renlyin«, paid that only during the past twnlvo montiis had any question been raised about tho housing accommodation pro- \ ided for miners. Ho believed 'that , tlio report of the Board of Trado contained some very valuable suggestions which could be made operative by regulation, apart from those requiring legislation, lie urged all those interested in the housing of miners to have housing committees of miners set up in the townships to "ive suggestions to tho Government .as to what could bo done. Tho inino owners had told him that they wero prepared to improvo matters, but they said that many of the places on which horses wero buiilt were not on their properly. Ho hoped that when tho new mine was opened up they would bo able to develop electricity for tho field. Ho had been absolutely sincoro in his desiro to do what was right, and ho hoped that something would soon bo done to mako tho lot of the miner and his family a happier one. Since tho Christmas holidays 110 men had been lost from tlio State mine. The manager said that there was room for ft) or SO more married men at Runanga, and more room for single men at Rewanui. Ho believed that from l(j to 20 men had boon put on last month. But tho New Zealand mines were short ot' 800 men, and not all of the shortage was to bo attributed to tho war, for not more thi\n -171 miners had gono on active service. The question of Stato ownership would come up very prominently in the next few months. Ho would be preparing a Mining Bill, which ho hoped would bo mado law. Ono of his schemes was to advanco money to. miners to work small mines oil their own account, possibly in co-operative companies. ■ As to the wages and conditions of work for miners, there would be a conference of inino owners and representatives ot tho federation shortly, and he was prepared to say that there were certain classes of men in the mines whoso position in regard to wages required reconsideration. He hoped when the conference came along that everybody would bo in a better frame of mind, and that there would be no difficulties unsettled. He had tried to stave off difficulties, and to keep tho industry going, but it had often been a very hard matter. Housing had certainly not been the cause ot all the difficulties. At t'lio moment it was not possible to meet nil the requirements of tlio miners ill this matter. Mr. P. Fraser suggested that the Minister should form a committeo of the miners at the Stato mine to have a share in tho management. Tho Minister flaid tl'jit ho would bo meeting Mr. Arbucklo and other representatives of tho miners shortly, and he would pro'bably discuss this matter with him.

PROSPECTIVE SUPPLIES FROM OIIAI. By Tolegrai'ii- Afsoeii'Mnti Invercargill, July 9. Mil A. W. Rodger, chairman of tha Ohai Railway Board, states that, with the assistance of a railway, tho 0 lai coalfields could be linked up with tho present railway system in fourteen days, and in a few weeks tho mines could supply between (iOO and 1000 tons of good steam coal per diem. Ho says there aro no'engineering ditlicultics, and only tliren miles of railway aro needed to bo lain. At tho present "time tho output is oniy I'2o tons a day.