HIGH COST OF COAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 859, 31 December 1929, Page 10

HIGH COST OF COAL

ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S DEAREST PRODUCTS REVIEW BY POLITICIAN An interesting review of the coal trade of Australia was given this morning by Mr. E. S. Marks, M.L.A. for North Sydney, who arrived by the Maunganui on his twelfth trip to the Dominion. “In 1911,” he said, “coal was one of j the cheapest commodities produced in- Australia. This year it is the dearest. “If the mines were opened under the conditions which the men want there would not be sufficient trade to keep them working for any length of time. Many of the mines are working onl3 r intermittently. I have visited all the mines in company with the Colonial Treasurer, and I feel that there are between 4,000 and 5,000 miners who cannot be absorbed in the industry. The demand for coal in Australia has been reduced because of the increasing use of oil.” Mr. Marks said that in 1925 Australia exported 1,770,000 tons of coal. this had fallen away by 640,000 tons. The inter-State trade had also dropped. Three million tons had been sent to other States from New South Wales in 1925, but only 2,000,270 tons last year. In 1925 Australia used 6,000,000 tons of coal, but last year this had fallen away by 600,000 tons. The total output of coal in 1925 was 11,400,000 tons, whereas last year only 9,450,000 tons had been produced. The price of coal in Australia in 1916 was 12s a ton. Newcastle coal last year had risen to 26s 1d a ton. Mr. Marks said that if Mr. Bavin’s scheme for working the mines had been put into operation it would have reduced the cost of coal by 4s a ton. Under this scheme, in a typical mine, a miner would be able to earn £1 16s 9d a day, and a filler or wheeler £1 8s 6d a day. Speaking of the New South Wales Parliament, Mr. Marks said that the session which ended on December 20 was a very strenuous one. No pairs were granted at any time by the Labour Party and with several Government supporters away on the sick list during the whole time the voting on several occasions was very close, the Government winning by one vote only on a number of important divisions. The feeling between the parties was very bitter because of the timber workers and coal miners strikes and the legislation introduced by the Bavin Government to either amend or abolish several Bills passed by the previous Lang\jOvernment. Some of the most important measures placed on the Statute Book (passed in nearly every case by the liberal use of the “gag” or guillotine) were the abolition of the rural workers award, and a milk bill to provide for the regulation and control by a board of the supply and sale of milk for consumption or use in Metropolitan area. Mr. Marks, who is honorary secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia, said that the American athletes, H. M. Osborne (high jump), L. Learmond (mile champion) and Dr. Peltzer would be arriving in Australia shortly to compete at the Australian championships on January 11, 15 and 18. Pie also mentioned that it was the first time for 30 years that New Zealand would not be represented at the meeting.