THE COAL SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 252, 18 July 1919, Page 6

THE COAL SHORTAGE

DISCUSSED BY MR. SEAIPLE, M.P. , "THE BLAME NOT THE '■ MINERS" . I The coal problem was the subject of un address delivered by Mr. E. Semple, M.P., at Brooklyn last evening. Mr. W. Maddison presided over a good attendance. Mr. Maddison, in introducing Mr. I Seniple, said that there had never boforo j been a time when it was ho necessary for the leaders of Labour to come forward and refute the defamatory statements that their opponents were circulating. Mr. Semj/.o opened with a defence of the miner, who, he said, had been charged with being a traitor and with "going slow." He claimed that the miners, of „\'ew Zealand had produced more coal during the years ot the war than ever before. The question directly concerning the people was that of the control of the coal industry. The Labour Party declared that the only solution was to be found in the common ownership of the industry by the people. Thousands of tons of coal, were buried yearly by reason of the unscientilic methods at present employed in the extraction of the commodity. Coal was being produced for 'profit, not for use, and mines were being closed before they were really developed. The premature removal of pillars had been a cause not only of loss of coal, but of soss of life. The only scientific way to develop a mine was to push the tunnelling to the limits of the workable coal, and then work back from the limits, removing pillars only as the coal was thoroughly worked out.' Opponents of the Labour Party had said that the next general election would be "fought upon the question of patriotism." The election, he held, would •be fought on the material needs of the people. Those who had been talking abuut patriotism had allowed the people during the war to be robbed of millions of pounds by way of war prohts. State coal mining in this country had for the last ten years been controlled by persons who were unsympathetic to State control. Despite that fact the State coal mines had shown a prolit of J:3p,OUO. Jf the Government iUut taken proper measures to develop the coal-hearing ureas ot tae Dominion it would have been possible to produce sufficient coal to meet the needs of today. He had reliable authority for the sta'lemcnt that since the inception of the State mines over 25 per . cent, ot the value of the coal produced had been paid to the Union Company for carriage. Mr. Seniple put betore his auuience the proposals ot Labour for the complete State control of the coal industry. These proposals have already been published on more than one occasion. He proceeded to discuss the allegation that miners are well paid. The miner got "s Id per ton lur hewing coal out ot the solid, Is. lid. for taking it out ot pillars, and a 17A per cent, war bonus during the war. The actual cost ol pvuI Unction was round about 15s. per ton w-lren the coal was put on the boat. There was a voyage ot U hours, and the 'consumer paid about Xi Ks. lor the coal, buying it by the bag. 'I he average yearly income ot the miners hroughoul the country about twelve months ago was Jl-'Ol llis -Id. If the miner got ,U loi every day that he went down the mine he would not be paid for the dangerous and distasteful work that he did he cause of the coal shortage o-da.\ was that the industry was in the hands ql a w ople and that the Government was- afraid to attack the mlcresU of U S forgave a most lurid description of the . miner's life, and asked. How could the people expect men to go and work under such conditions, as obtained in the mines ana the mining ■=ettlements of this, country .-> He . woulrt I i lv «o and work a month in the miilS with each Tory l»l tio»n in the country; the politicians who cnt w. i him would learn how to beat men. K» consideration had been given to the housing of the miners. Runanga, kno«n as tie "home of the red terrors,'\was Se tet of the mining settlements ll«re the State miners had contro ol the opr ou"h"; and the town possessed a beautiful library, a beautiful hall, a hue w-opera-tivo store and first-rate gardens. Runanga wis the onlv Kew Zealand borough that was absolutely free from debt. During the last epidemic, not one person in lUmanga had died from the scourge. Ihe report of the Board of Trade upon the coal industry was nothing but a move to side-step the issue of State ownership. Ke understood that when the JNcw' Zealand visited Wellington it would he necessary for the vessel to have 3000 ton. of coal. This coal would be burnt tar the pleasure of one individual, while thousands had .to put their little ones to bed at dusk because they had no coal to keep the little bodies, warm. the Governor-General, moreover, was cruising about the Islands, burning coal for his pleasure. . ' The Labour people were not seeking to stir up antagonism between the miners and other members of the community. They were particularly anxious that everybody in this country should havo a share of 'coal; but at the same time they were anxious that the blame for the present position should be placed on the shoulders of those really responsible, and not on the shoulders of those who were not responsible. Mr. H. K. Holland, M.P., moved a resolution which declared that the only solution of the coal problem lay in the public ownership and control of the industry, and condemned the Board of Trade's - proposal for "semi-private control with State-guaranteed dividends to shareholders." Mr. Holland said that the the National Government was responsible for the present coal shortage. Having brought about tho shortage, it had appointed a highly-paid board to report upon it, and the board had made recommendations which were not in favour of State control. It was a significant fact that not a single representative of Labour had been on any of the commissions appointed during the past twelve months. > The resolution was carried. '