WAIKATO COAL MINES

Southland Times, Issue 24887, 29 October 1942, Page 4

WAIKATO COAL MINES

Meeting Of Control Board

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, October 28. A large volume of business was dealt with by the Waikato Coal Mines Control Board at its first meeting held in Auckland today, stated the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, who is chairman of the board, at the conclusion of the proceedings. The board was set up under the emergency regulations following on the Waikato coal miners’ strike. The meeting was not open to the Press, the Minister stating that the board would function in the same way as a board of company directors. In a statement the Minister said a large agenda occupied almost four hours. Unanimous agreement had been reached on all matters with the exception of the appointment of Mr C. J. Strongman, superintendent of State coal mines, as superintendent of the mines under the control of the board. “The representatives of the owners were against this proposal on the ground that they had efficient managers ana would prefer the management to be completely in their hands, said the Minister. “I pointed out that, as the State was so much involved in control it was desirable to have a State superintendent in charge, and this was carried on my casting vote.’ Additional housing for the miners had been discussed, and Mr J. Fletcher, Commissioner of Defence Construction, had been called in to confer with the board. He had given an undertaking to make the building of 40 new houses a matter of urgency and their construction would be put in hand almost immediately. Labour and materials w.oula be made available, and it was proposed to erect the houses in the Rotowaro and Glen Afton districts. The full board would visit Huntly tomorrow to meet the Industrial Production Council to discuss ways and means of increasing production.