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Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1931, Page 4

The Coal Mines Re-organisation Commission has submitted to the British Government a most comprehensive and drastic scheme of rationalisation. Its chief proposal is for the amalgamation of the existing sources of production into six great “combines,” with the object of economising, increasing efficiency and eliminating all superfluous competition. The Commission has considered a number of alternative schemes, but it apparently sees no escape from ' the conclusion that a large number of , the “uneconomic” mifies must > Be closed down and that the ready productive sources of supply must be grouped together and managed in such a way as to secure all the benefit's and econ*-. ornies of large scale production. The most .-obvious comment upon these proposals i s that, in effect, the Auckland Star, they approximate closely to the scheme of nationalisation • urged upon the Government by the Sankey Coal Commission eleven years ago. The report now submitted 1 recommends that each of the six groups of mines shall be controlled by a central Directorate, which shall select the most productive sources of supply, regulate finance, control and dispose of the output and institute research work in the interests of the coal trade. All this presents so close an approach to nationalisation that the Labour Party, which has long been anxious to ise” the great industries, might be expected to greet the report with enthusiasm. But this scheme means the closing down of hundreds of relatively unproductive mines and .the dismissal of 100,000 minors,, and in view of the present industrial and financial crisis, no Government could face such a responsibility as this. Yet the report warns the nation that, so, as the coal trade is concerned, “the days of the easy supremacy of Britain are gone,”-and something must be done to cut down the expenses of production and to reorganise the ihdustry

before its impending collapse develops into a great national disaster.