Control of Australian Coal Industry

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 53, 6 March 1944, Page 5

Control of Australian Coal Industry

WIDE POWERS FOR “DICTATOR” Received Sunday, 7.50 p.m. CANBERRA, March 6. The Federal Government forced its Coal Bill, containing 61 clauses, through both Houses of the Federal Parliament in under 24 hours. After an earlier bitter all-night debate in the House of Representatives, the Senate passed the measure in six hours. The Bill provides for the appointment of a Commonwealth Coal Commissioner with wide powers over the industry. It has been officially announced that the Government intends to appoint tho present chairman of the Coal Commission (Mr. Norman Mighell) to the new position. The Minister of Customs (Senator Keane) said the Bill had become necessary almost solely because of the too frequent stoppages on the New South Wales coalfields. In other States the coal industry had responded splendidly to the call for increased production and there had been relatiyely few strikes. But New South Wales produced more than 80 per cent, of Australia’s coal requirements. The striking Now South Wales miners are considering the direction of the Miners’ Federation Central Council to return to work to-morrow. The Council instructed all the striking miners to roturn to work on which they were engaged before the strike began on February 14. This means that no returning striker will take the place of any man absent because of an Army call-up or any other reason. The Miners’ Federation will negotiate with the Federal Government to have military call-up notices served on about 350 striking miners withdrawn.