The State Coal Mines.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 10, 12 May 1911, Page 12

The State Coal Mines.

•'Slack Time" and Accommodation.

(By Our Special Representative)

A mass meeting of members of the State Miners' Union was held in the Miners' Hall, Ilunanga, on Tuesday morning, May 4th, 1911, for the purpose of protesting against short time worked at the mine during the past five months. Tho President, Mr P. C Webb, was in the chair 3 and he called upon. Mr Glover to move tho following resolution, whicii was seconded by Mr Coppersmith, and carried unanimously:— "That this meeting of the Coal Creek State Minors' Union enter our most emphatic protest against the slack time worked by the State Mine for the last five montlis; when we consider that the mine is a people's concern and the Government are acting as the agents of tho whole people we consider that an enquiry into matters relating to the working of same should be made forthwith with a view of having the people's mine -worked in the interest of the whole people." About a dozen different speakers supported the resolution. It was pointed out that the cause of the protest was not so much because of tho men working short time, as it was that a concern belonging to the people should be working snort time when the Government is purchasing coal from private companies and Newcastle ; and that only a few months back different centres of population in New Zealand were clamouring for State coal depots, when the Government made tho statement that it was a difficult matter to supply tho depots already established and that the output of the mine would not warrant the establishment of nrw depots— also that the mine only working about half-time almost doubled the expenses. Pillars are now being extracted, and all practical miners will acknowledge that in a mine like the State Coal Mine, with a treacherous roof and making a large quantity of water, the quicker the pillars arp extracted the: better, both as regards cost of timbering and pumping. Also a less percentage of coal would be lost, and it would bo much safer for the miners employed. It is contended that the. State Coal Mines .belong to t'he people, and they should be worked in the interests of the whole of the people. The opinion i» freely expressed that the Government is directly opposed to State control as every tiling in connection with the management of the concern proves. It would appear as if- the Ministers responsible are endeavouring to show tho people that State control is a failure, as the mines are being worked at a loss

Government Has Time for Luxurious Parasitism but not for the Workers' Needs.

whilst private owned concerns are paying good dividends. But they do not tell them that the conditions in connection with the extraction, of the coal are much more difficult than they are in any mine in the district and also that the mine is only working 7 to 8 days per fortnight, which means increasing the expenses per ton considerably. Another resolution re accommodation at the No.. 2 Mine was put to the meeting and carried unanimously :— '"That this meeting of the State Minors' Union enters ite most emphatic protest against, the accommodation conditions of the workers employed at the Point Elizabeth No. 2 Branch* Mine, and calls upon the Government to at once erect suitable huts, etc., for the workmen employed there." A number of members spoke in support of this resolution. There are at present over 100 men employed in development work amongst frost and snow, slush and mud; and up to the present tho Government has refused to provide any accommodation whatever. VVhcn a man is put on he has to buy a tent, etc., and either hump it, or pay for the carting of it up into the mountains, about 6 miles from the No. 1 Mine. Ho then has to procure timber from the .State sawmill for the floor, etc. for which he is charged a good sum. And he will then have to erect his tent on the side of mountain in. the best position available. The full cost will be £7 or £8. His job may last perhaps a month or two months and then he is sent off down the hill again with less money than he had when he went up, having to sell his tent at less than half cost. This is intolerable and would not be endured from a private company. In fact every private company in the district when on development work has provided huts for their employees. Huts were provided at Paparoa, at North Brunner, and at Otira. The State Mineo Department on tho pica of e:\pLUSO consider the time is not ripe to decide on a site for accommodation huts. Yet the time is ripe to send Sir J. CV. "Ward Homo to the coronation ; the time is ripe to present England with a Dreadnought that will cost; iri millions; the time is ripe to present His Itoyal Highness with the Koddy nugget; the time is ripe to spend £1,000,000 yearly on a compulsory military training scheme to train the youth, of this Dominion t<3 shoot in defence of a country which they do not own and which allows a few landowners and capitalists to own the land and the jnarchinery of wealth production.