WAIKATO MINES

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 15, 13 October 1942, Page 4

WAIKATO MINES

Output Since Resumption

Of Work

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, October 12.

“In tlie first week after resumption, despite vaiious interruptions, .the Waikato mines produced 16,152 tons of coal and in the second week 16,832. This was 800 to 1000 tons above, the pre-strike average,” said the Minister of Mines, Mr., Webb, in an interview today. “We had to choose between coal and chaos,” said the Minister, commenting on the arrangement made between the employers, workers, and • the Government regarding wartime control of mines. “Making the mines a Govern-ment-controlled industry is purely a war measure,” he added. “When the mines resumed a fortnight ago over 60 factories, plus freezing and fertilizer works, were within a week of exhausted coal supplies.

“Had the strike continued for another week, all the industries in the North Island would have closed down.” Discussing the settlement of the strike, Mr. Webb said: “Past experience should have taught those who were crying out for the use of the big stick that such methods only aggravate a delicate situation. The miner will not be bludgeoned. Most of them can see reason, and reason ultimately prevailed. Neither the owners nor the Government believed that imprisonment of the men would have got the’’country out of its economic trouble.” Mr. Webb said that the full powers of the 'State must be behind a maximum war effort.

APPEASEMENT POLICY Comment By Leader Of Opposition

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, October 12. '

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, who arrived here this morning, made the following statement: — “Mr. Webb was unquestionably telling the truth when he said that the Northern Miners’ Union executive was completely happy over the confiscation of the Waikato coal mines. This is another black -page in the Government’s record of industrial appeasement and capitulation to the forces of lawlessness by playing the enemy’s game, asMr. Semple put it. “By holding up production by disorganizing our transport system, so that thousands of soldiers were locked in their camps because there was insufficient coal to take them to their homes and families,. 1300 coal miners have won an important battle toward their main objective, State control and socialization. . Thirteen hundred striking coal miners have succeeded in robbing the 13,000 hard-working dairy farmers who co-operatively own two of the Waikato mines of the’ right to manage their own affairs. Eleven hun"dred coal miners wantonly broke the law, and have not even been summonsed and prosecuted. Thirteen thousand dairy farmers broke no law, and committed no wrong. The finding of the Court of Inquiry was entirely in their favour, yet they virtually lose control of their own mines, and any increased earnings are to be confiscated. The use of war funds to pay fees, salaries, a*nd allowances to the members of this- board is a grave misuse of the war funds, and will be received with much misgiving by the public. “A paragraph in the statement is devoted to the question of excess profits being paid to the War Expenses Account, 'but' there is a significant silence on the important question ofi where any deficiency or loss is to come from. One naturally wonders why the Minister is silent on this point. The original regulations provided that any losses should be a charge on the War Expenses Account, and if there were insufficient funds to pay the average dividend to the shareholders, then the dividend would be made up out of the War Expenses Account. Again this would be a -grave misuse of the war funds and a serious shock to the public.” ' REJOINDER BY PRIME MINISTER “Mr. Holland is fully at liberty to, relieve his friendly feelings toward the Government even if he does so in characteristic reckless fashion, or to indulge in. an orgy of misrepresentation if that sort of dissipation appeals to him, but 1 am sorry for his own sake that he has stooped -to what appears to be conscious if feeble inaccuracy in describing the control of the Waikato mines for the period of the war as ‘confiscation,’” said»tne Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, when referring in an interview last nght to the statement by the Leader of the Opposition. “Nobody will believe that sort ot nonsense,” added the Prime Minister.