NUMBER OF COALMINES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1938, Page 8

NUMBER OF COALMINES

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—lt has again been stated that more coalmines are unnecessary and that some measure of protection for the coal owners is desired. I consider that instead of making this plea the members of the Coal Mine Owners' Association should be urged to adopt the" greatest measure of protection for themselves by more efficiency and making their organisation such that it would fear no competition from outside imports or inside developments. Mr. Davis complains of higher wages and shorter hours and costly conditions as the cause of the trouble. Surely he knows that eight hours a day, and less in some countries, is practically of universal adoption. New Zealand miners' heaving rates are^not as high, or^noi higher than in other civilised coun-l tries. Mining timber is cheap in New Zealand in comparison with timber in the mining centres of England and Scotland. As to his complaint about 111,078 tons of coal being1 imported, I agree this should never have occurred, but gas companies and other industries had to have coal and there were no stocks. I was in a, district last year where coal for household purposes could not be had;'at any price. In that area there are several coalmines but if the miners are one day idle at any one of them you could hardly pick up as muchco-l as would kill a rat. Some of the mines of New Zealand are not equipped vrith the most efficient machinery for handling coal. •,, ...

It would have _ been better if Mr. Davis had not touched on hydrogenation rather than to make the statements he did. He stated it would undoubtedly result in greater coal consumption but would not result in any great increase in coal mining. He said it was profitable only for waste coal of low value. This statement is incorrect. The largest plant now in operation is being-loaded with 10,000 tons of raw coal as it comes from the mines, and is producing from this 700 tons of motor spirit per day. Plants of a capacity that were never dreamt of are being built:on the Continent, and these countries are assured of an advantage over countries that, are slow to adopt hydrogenation. New Zealand coals are admirably, suited for the extraction of mineral oil./

This, as well as the last, Government has protected the industry by refusing to ppen up new mines and has thereby prevented efficient coal companies from developing miles - and miles of coal that would give" employment to thousands of workers. Some Government in the:near future will, I hope, bring this country into line with other industrial countries of the world. Our coal and other mineral resources have lqng been the envy of other nations.— I am, etc., McGRORY.