The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JUNE 2, 1919. NO “GO SLOW ”

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10295, 2 June 1919, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JUNE 2, 1919. NO “GO SLOW ”

A .table which appears on page 581 of the “New Zealand Official Year Book” for 1918, recently published, throws a strong light, and a very welcome light, upon the much-discussed question as to whether the New Zealand miners have, or have not, adopted the “goslow” policy during the past few years. The table affords what, we are convinced, all fair-minded persons cannot but accept as conclusive evidence that the allegations, so freely made by some people, that the miners have been going slow, have no sound basis of hard facts behind them. For this evidence the statement made by Mr Blow, Chief Inspector of Alines, before the Industries Committee of the House of Representatives, that the existing coal shortage was nob due to want of coal resources in New Zealand, but to a shortage of coal-inmers, must have prepared the public. The table referred to shows year by year, from 1898 to 1917 inclusive, the total output of coal and shale, the number of persons employed ’ above and below ground, and the number of tons of coal and shale per head raised by those employed below ground. For comparative purposes wo give the figures for 1598, and those for 1907 to 1917: Persons Tons raised

IOLt ... w*</w • »w As accounting for the considerable falling off in the production per head in 1013, a footnote to the table states that all the principal collieries were rendered idle by the strike during No. vember and December of that year. The outstanding facta to be noted are, first, the broad fact that the production of coal and shale per head nas increased from 627 tons in 1898 to 715 tons in 1917, an increase of 88 tons per head, or rather more than 14 per cent, in the 20 years. It may be argued that this increased output is in part due to improved mining machinery, but on this point being put to Mr Blow by a “Times” representative, he was assured that this is not the case, very little coal-cutting machinery being used in New Zealand, since it can only be used where, a® at Newcastle, N.S.AV., the seams are level. Secondly, during the war period the production of coal per head has been well maintained, with a spurt up to the record of 750 tons in 191 G. The comparatively low output of 639 tons per man in 1914 is evidently the aftermath of th© strike the year before; but 1915, with 711 tons per head, beats all previous records, just as 1917, with 715

tons, beats all other years except 1916. Thirdly, the year 1914, with 4734 men employed above ground and below, is in that respect the record year, and by 1917 the number had fallen to 3933. This reduction is no doubt accounted for by tbo number of miners who volunteered for the front and ren-dered-such splendid service in the Now Zealand Tunnelling Corps, as testified to by Major-General Sir Andrew Russell, and all who know the work they did on the 'Western front and elsewhere. As a matter of fact, more coal-miners than the above figures indicate, went to the* front, because the places of not a few of them were taken by men following other avocations who “went underground'’ for the period of tho war. The shortage of miners is also undoubtedly duo to the fact that in only too, many cases the conditions of life and of labour are not such as to attract men to take up coal-mining as a moans of livelihood. It is stated that some of tho wealthiest coal companies are tho worst of sinners in regard to the insanitary condition of the townships that their miners live in. If that is tho case, drastic action should at once ho taken to put an end to this state of affairs. Happily, the attention of the Government and of tho general public has recently been called to the matter, and it is to bo hoped that prompt, and effective measures will bo adopted to deal with it. What can be done in this way to cope with tho shortage of miners, and therefore with the shortage of coal, is indicated by the request of tho proprietors of the Avoca coal mines, that fifteen hutments used at Trcntham Camp should be transported to the mine in bulk, to be used as minors’ cottages, and their statement that if suitable accommodation is provided at tho mine for men and their families, there will be sufficient labour to work the mino, and they will ho able to send into Christchurch 250 tons of coal a day. For th'e rest, the Geological report, just to hand, by Air Sidney Fry, Director of the School of Alines, Reefton, on the coal measures in the Alokau district, where seven seams have been discovered, one alone of which is estimated to contain 4G4 million tons of high-grade coal, goes to show how very ample for present needs, at all events, are the coal resources of the Dominion.

Output. employed above and belowper person employed underYear. Tons. ground. ground. 1898 ... 907,033 2,003 627 1907 ... 1,831,009 3,910 662 1908 ... 1,860,973 CO eoV 641 1909 ... 1,911.2-17 633 1910 ... 2,197,863 4,599 634 1911 ... 2,066,073 4,290 706 1912 ... 2.177,615 4,328 681 1913 ... 1,888,005 4,250 590 1914 ... 2,275,614 4,731 639 1913 ... 2,208,624 4,156 711 1916 ... 2,257,135 3,988 750 1917 ... 2,063,419 3,983 715