UNEMPLOYED RUN A MINE

Evening Star, Issue 20140, 3 April 1929, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED RUN A MINE

INDUSTRIAL EXPERIMENT IN NORWAY OSLO, March 20. A bold social experiment begins tins spring, when the unemployed in the small place of Evenes. in Northern Norway, will take over the big ore mines of A. S. Ofotcn Malmfelt, Ltd., which have been closed down since 1923. The mines are owned .by Beer Sonthoimer and Co., Franklort-on-Maine, Germany. Alter having spent nearly L6O(J,UOU on the undertaking, the Germans gave up because production was too expensive. A working arrangement has now been entered into with Beer Sontheimer, by which the unemployed rent the whole undertaking at a price of 13s a year, this sum being the only liability. Sontheimer further promised to purchase the entire production of tho mines at maikct price. Workers and employees are to run the mines as a joint undertaking, and have obtained a first mortgage loan to ne used as working capital. ‘ The estimates reckon on a production of 4.000 tons a month, allowing a daily wage of about Gs. “ But,” say the unemployed, “ even if we have to work for less we shall be glad.” The small place of Evenes has 3,000 inhabitants, and practically the whole community is dependent on the mines. Thanks, to improvements in machinery, 150 men will he able to produce tho same amount of ore as 300 men did before the war.