COAL CRISIS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10281, 16 May 1919, Page 7

COAL CRISIS

WELLINGTON'S POSITION

MINISTER., RETAILERS, AND LABOUR MEMBERS CONFER.

A conference was held yesterday between a large number of local retailers in the coal trade and the Hon. Arthur Myers (Minister-in-Chargc of Coal Distribution). Messrs P. Eraser and R. Semple, M.P.'s, were also present, the Minister stating that he had invited them in order that they could obtain full information in connection with the present system of coal distribution. Every effort, he added, was being made to do justice to all classes of tho community, and he courted the fullest investigation on all occasions. Mr Eraser said that the reason why he had accepted the Minister's invitation to bo present at the conference was because a largo number of his constituents were) experiencing extreme difficulty in getting coal, and the kind they did get was sometimes of a very inferior quality. With rgard to the distribution of coal, he stated that ho was of the opinion that it was not ay fair as it might be. Instances had been brought under his notice whore well-to-do people had received large, supplies and the poorer people could not obtain any. He did not wish it to be understood that he was blaming anybody, but lie would like to see a fairer allocation in the future. He' quite saw that it was not an easy matter, but he thought a system could be devised that would give general satisfaction and at the same time safeguard the interests of the dealers'. Asked by the Minister as to whether he could give any definite instances where well-to-do people had received prior consideration, Mr Fraser said that he could, but he would not like to give the names of the persons. Mr Myers, in reply, fully explained the present system of distribution, and stated that it was the intention to make it as equitable in operation possible. , If any favours had been given, he would be glad to know of'them and investigate them. He would like to point out, however, that the first essential was .naturally to protect those industries, winch; dealt with products of 0 ! perishable., nature. "The Government was in honour bound to protect the Imperial Gove • nent meat held in | store here, which had been bought and paiA for. Then, of course, gas and liglrong companies and _other essential industries , had to receive preference. As far as he could seo, all classes; of the community had suffered from the shortage, and'the solution of the difficulty was. to produce more coal in the Dominion... "■ - ■ :' ' Mr'Seihple "expresseii the./ opinion that the Government should take some direct action to deal with the root cause of the present shortage in the output.' The shocking sanitary' condi-. tions existing' in some of the mining towns was having the effect of driving the miners' to other spheres. He cited the case of the town of Blackball, which, according to recent reports, the inhabitants were threatening to abani;4QnV;^f„tJi|s:,Hpppone.d A . i Qno of<~the,largest mines in the Dominion 'would have to close down.

The Minister, in reply to this; said that his' colleague, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald,. Minister for Mines, was down the coast at. the present time with the express purpose of investiga-* ting the mattor referred to, ■ and would place tho position before Cabinet on his return, together with the Board of Trade's report dealing especially with the prices-charged for coal.:■ '.■■'<••■ ... Mr, flyers', intimated, in conclusion,' that in cases of extreme necessity and sickness, direct application could bo made to Ms Goal Control Office. Union Company's Buildings, and he could assure them every possible effort would be made to afford immediate relief.

WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE? LABOUR, M.P. BLAMES CONDITIONS IN MINING CAMPS. A recent telegrani from Greymouth stated that the Blackball Medical Association had drawn '(tho attention of the Minister for Mines to tho insanitary condition of BlaokbalJ, and tfliat the Minister had said, in reply, that something would be done, that the employers would nave/Ui foot -the bill, and that tho miners must have decent living conditions.

Mr R. Semple, M.P. for Wellington South, who has had, considerable experience among the miners, holds that this and like matters have an important bearing on the. coal shortage which New Zealand is at present experiencing. "The coal supply," he says, "is a thing worthy of the keenest investigation. It is a problem throughout tihe world, and in 'England a commission is considering the question of nationalisation. To my mind, naJtaonalisation is the real remedy, as private enterprise is" one of the chief factors in tlm industrial discontent which exists ih the mining llelds of the world. Tho first cause of trouble is inadequate pay, the second is bad _ conditions, and the thkcl is the housing question. All these things have been neglectedl, if not absolutely ignored, by the coal-owners of every country, and it is -the duty of the Government to protect the interests of tho workmen against such a policy.' The Government of New Zealand will be compelled to give this question of toal supply the consideration it demands. I have had sixteen or seventeen years' experience of the octal mines of New Zealand, both as a miner and as miners' agent and inspector, and I have inspected every-mine from" Nightcaps to Kirupaka, so I speak with first-hand knowledge of _ the conditions under which the onen work in the mines and the conditions they and their families lire under. MINING CAMPS "NOTHING SHORT OF A SCANDAL." ; "The Blackball' mining camp, for insranco, is a positive disgrace, and it cannot bo expected that men will teak work there or remain there any length of time. Only the other day a deputation told the Minister for "Mines that unless something was done to improve I the oonditions of the place tho people would leave. This town practically belongs to a private individual, an absentee landowner who does nothing but draw the rents. Tho water supply is disgraceful and the sanitary conditions generally are appalling. Just at tho presont time the town is full of diphtiaoria. The conditions in tho Blackball inino also are bad—ia large quantity of black damp is given off, and this injures tho health of the miners. "Burnett's Face, DemiMon Hill_, is another mining town where conditions

unfit, for human beings to lire under obtain. This little camp is situated in a valley, and the miners' shacks aro built alongside the tramline, witlh cliffs on either side. The children of the miners have nowhere to play, tsxcept on the tramline, dodging the truoks as they go to and. fro, or in the creek where the water pumped from the mine lies stagnant. The pkce is a filthy, dismal spot. Then as to Huntly, there are on record the abatements of medical men condemning it wholesale. Generally speaking, the mining camps of NewZealand are nothing short of a scandal, with the one exception of Runanga, which is an example of the benefit of the people- owning their homes. There the nouses are built on a Government reserve, the drainage is good, and the houses are up to date. Runanga is the only mining village in New Zealand in which thero was not one death during the epidemic. COAL FAMINE PARTLY DUB TO LABOUR. SHORTAGE.

"The position is such that it is impossible to expect the shortage -of labour, which is par'Hly responsible for the coal shortage, to be made up unless the Government provides ox insists on humane conditions obtaining in the mines and comfortable homes being provided for the miner and his family. If the conditions aro improved and the lot of tlhe miner and his family" is made brighter, there will, be no difficulty in securing the labour necessary to work the coalfields of this country. The private concerns will not do what ought to bo done, and the only solution is for the Government .-to take over 'tihe whole ■f the coalfields of the Dominion. There are millions oi tons of coal.'waiting to be won from thd bowels of New Zealand, and yet we have a coal famine. It is the bounden duty of a Govei-n----ment to protect the interests _of the people in this matter, and the time haa' arrived when, the people should return a Gbvernmeint wihich. will aittond to these matters instead of merely tinkering with the source of the trouble. ; "We have to get to the root of this trouble and as rational people apply some real remedy. Wie hear a lot nowadays about efficiency, etc. The best way, ip. my opinion, to bring about efficiency is to decently feed, clothe, and house the men who do the laborious work, so that <fchey_ and their families will be contented with tlheir lot. These troubles are not being remedied, and the germs of discontent are being sown in the minds of the men and the women who are so unjustly treated."