HUNTLY MINES SLACK

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 339, 26 April 1928, Page 1

HUNTLY MINES SLACK

LACK OF ORDERS BLAMED ROTOWARO COLLIERY IDLE (From Our Own Correspondent) HUNTLY, To-day. It was reported yesterday that the mines at Huntly had had to cease work owing to a shortage of trucks, due to them being retained too long in the South, but union officials declare the stoppage of work is due to shortage of orders, and that the Railway Department is being unfairly blamed for the cessation of work. The Rotowaro mine is again idle, but the Railway Department is not blamed by the Miners’ Union. No guarantee of any period of work being forthcoming, and only 25 trucks being available at 8 a.m., the men did not go in to the mine this morning. The president and secretary of the Rotowaro Miners’ Union say this morning that the trouble is not due to any shortage of trucks, but to shortage of orders, and emphatically deny that the fault lies with the Railway Department. The Glen Afton mine has worked continuously without any stoppage for trucks, except on rare occasions. The union representatives say thatwhen orders on hand are completed the men are knocked off work, and the department is blamed quite unfairly for the shortage of trucks, while the other mines continue to work because they hold orders for supplies.