COST OF COAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 136, 6 December 1938, Page 12

COST OF COAL

PRICES TO RISE

AUCKLAND ANNOUNCEMENT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day,

A decision to increase the wholesale price of coal owing to higher cos£s of production and the increase in railway freights has been made by the Waikato Coal Mine Owners' Association as from December 11. The present wholesale rates at Auckland are: Household, 32s per ton; kitchen, 265; slack, 15s 6d.

The principal points discussed at the recent meeting of the association related to freights and higher wages. The amount of the increase in price will be decided at a meeting a* few days hence.

i Commenting. today on the statement by the Hon. P. C Webb at Westport recently that a conference of coal mine owners would be called to study wages and means of increasing the production of coal to maintain the standard of living and also bring about more economic production, Mr. H. Luke, chairman of the Wilton Collieries, said that mine owners were quite prepared to co-operate with the Minister and miners. He added, however, that in the Waikato they could not increase production by the addition of more machines, any increase being dependent upon man-power. Recently a number of miners had been leaving the mines for outside employment At present ample men were available for the work offering.