COAL PRODUCTION.

Taihape Daily Times, 24 July 1919, Page 5

COAL PRODUCTION.

AND LABOUR-SAVING r MACHINERY. The Wellington'Post’s- C()l'l'egpond_ cm: at Auckland writes as follows:_ The necessity of increasing the com output to relieve “the present Siamtion raises the question whether, this would be effected if more laboul'—saving machinery were used, inquiries among cealmine owners showed that Whereas more machinery would lead to a larger output. the impossibility of procuring it at present rules it out as a. factor in the soTution of the existing problem. In many of the mines in the Auckland province mechanical coal-cutters, driven by compressed air, are in use, This machinery can be used with complete safety in deep workings, whereas electric power, with its tendency to spark, is cut out, in view of its danger in shallow workings. With plenty of ventilation electrically-driven machinery can, however, be used at the same time. Just as much poW.er can be obtained from a compressed air plant. The real requirement in order to obtain more from the mines is more men. Relief ‘from the present shortage, could ag once be secured if the coalmine companies were able to procure 200 or 300 additional miners. Between the-Gov-ernment regulations and the demands of the Unions, however, as to experiencc in coal mining, to say nothing of the scarcity of miners, and labour, the problem is very diflicult of solution The miners now employed are reported to be working very well, and the companies are not disposed to take any action in the direction of employing extra labour, where such a course might lead to irritation If, realising that the position is serious, the miners would assist the owners in arriving at a scheme whereby the employment of more men in the mines could be brought ‘about much good would result.

i As showing howreadily. the coal output could be at once increased were the labour difficulty overcome. there are reported_to 10,000,000 tons of coal proved in one surface-Working at Ro--lbtorwaru, closeto .’l:l7,lntlj*'.VV All that is 4 .r,equirecl:is_the,laAbour to get ‘i3hils"‘(3o'iil‘ out-. It would notgbe a"sinking' pro-j position at,all; the men would ‘ have lsimply to walk ~in__and ‘work in free ’ventila.tion. Meantime,’ ‘the companies have only a limited ,amount of ma_[chinery. The desirabilit.y of procuriing more is recognised, seeing that it ilargel)’ increases the output of a ‘mine as compared with pick work. |During the war,hoWever, manufacturlers ceased making this class of ma~ gchinery, and it will be some time be}fore the mine-owners can secure more_ The miners are reported to be quite {in favour of the use of mechanical gcoal-cutters. They relieve the men Ufrom the work of swinging the pick, ‘an'd,instead- of reducing the . number §Vof'nlen emp‘lo_ved_, -they involve, the ‘employment’ of men Vas truck fillers. ‘Naturally, the machines call-for a iskilled ‘class of minernto WQrk- them.‘ ilt is hoped that the companies will» be ‘able to procure more cutters, now that [the War is over, but, in the meanItime, what is urgently required is ‘more miners. 4