THE COAL DIFFICULTY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10281, 16 May 1919, Page 4

THE COAL DIFFICULTY

The main difficulty, as we have pointed out elsewhere to-day, of the coal industry is illustrated by the diminution of production., A , difficulty,' 'naturally, distribution. When there’i* not enough‘coal to go round,' there is certain to bo discontent with tho method of distribution. Upon this consequential difficulty some light is thrown by the official report we publish to-day of yesterday's conference between the Hon. A. Myers, a largo number of retailers, and certain members uf Parliament who had accepted invitations to be present. The Minister explained that every care was taken to (1) safeguard certain interests of tho first necessity and importance to the community, and (2) to distribute tho at at disposal in the fairest manner possible. To mo nrst part of this explanation no exception was taken, of course. As to the second, Mr Fraser, M.P., expressed the opinion that the method of distribution was unfair, bud as he declined to give names of the instances ho said ho knew of—and thjs though the Minister expressed , his readiness to have inquiry promptly made—ho cannot be said to have given the Minister the help he bad expected from tho conference which he had assembled for the purpose. Tho Minister, whose explanation must ho accepted—and no one has ever doubted that he is doing his beat under very difficult circumstances —added that in cases of urgency, for example, of sickness, ho would take care that relief would bo given. As to the allegation of unfairness, that is really an attack on the retailers. The Minister has, wo believe, without hesitation done his best to have everything done with scrupulous fairness. The retailers present seem, so far as the report goes, to have been silent. Some assurance from them would have been welcome. The Minister did mot forget the main difficulty. “The solution of the difficulty,” he said, “was to produce more coal in the Dominion.” But, howP This is the rook against which, as wo have pointed out, every attempt breaks in a manner so hopeless as to justify the conclusion that the multiplication of facilities for getting and transporting coal multiplies proportionately tho difficulty of increasing the output. Here Mr Semple, M.P., took a hand. He answered the question by blaming the condition of tho mining camps, particularly mentioning one, m scathing terms, into which the Minister reminded him that his colleague the

Minister for Mines is now inquiring on the spot. This line Mr Semple elaborated subsequently in an interview with our representative, which will bo found in another column. In that interview,Mr Semple extended the objection to all the mining camps in New Zealand except Runanga. Inadequate pay, bad conditions, and bad housing, are, in Mr Semple’s opinion, the chief causes of the shortage of coal, and also the shortage of labour. This charge against the mining camps is not as familiar ns other counts in the Labour indictment. Mr Hornsby, M.P., has stressed it in recent letters to our columns. _ But there was little about it, comparatively, in the long_ manifestoes published by the miners in their late conflict with the owners. In these the wages occupied the chief space. That the state of the mining camps was not stressed as a thing bo shamoful.as this is alleged to bo ought to have been, is much to be regretted. Without so concluding definitely, we cannot help saying that this omission savours of the practice of keeping back charges for the sake of prolonging discussion of a subject renuiring prompt treatment. If the charge of insanitation be true, it is a grievous reflection on the Governments that have permitted it. However, as inquiry is pending, we can say no more now, except that if tho charge is proved some very swooping measures will be required, and at once. But what if such measures are taken? Will that end the main difficulty of the coal output? In this direction past ©xperi-