THE COAL QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1919, Page 5

THE COAL QUESTION.

"THIEVES AND LEECHES." MESSRS SEMPLE AND PARRY AT NEW PLYMOUTH. There was only a moderate attendance at the Empire Theatre last night, when Mr. R. Semple, M.P., and Mr. W. Parry gave addresses on the question of the nationalisation of the coal industry in New Zealand land on Labor matters generally. Mr. P. B, Fitzherbert presided. Mr. Parry was the first speaker, and took occasion to state that neither lie nor Mr. Semple were now officially connected with the Coal Miners' Federation. They Were ex-officers of the organisation, and were not speaking on behalf of the Federation, but on the general conditions affecting the coal industry and in the interests of the New Zealand Labor Party. He said the coal shortage in New Zealand was directly due to the conditions under which the miners had to work, side by side with the influence of the Union Steamship Company and the coal monopolists of the country. The coal importations to New Zealand from Australia amounted to about 220,000 tons annually. There were millions of , tons; of coal in New Zealand not yet exploited, and that was largely due to the influence of the Union Company, because of the vital interests that company had in the coal mines in Australia. Mr. Parry declared that there waa no need for the Government to send to Australia for miners. There were plenty of miners in New Zealand, and 30 could be BecuTed in Wellington and Auckland tomorrow if decent conditions were made for the workers. He did not blame men for leaving the industry for other employment where conditions were more congenial. What the Labor Party of New Zealand proposed to do with the coal industry was to take hold of it, as they proposed to take hold of the other Industries of the country, and then put a Government in power that would sympathetically administer thoye industries for the people, and not oppose them. Mr. Parry then proceeded to denounce the manner of the Government's administration, which, he alleged, was solely in the interests of a few capitalists and against the good of the large body of producers. He ridiculed the Coalition Government, and appealed for mpport to the Labor Party, who would ,at all times be in the hands of the democracy. Mr. Semple, who was cordially received, stated that actually what the Labor Party was doing was aiming to remedy the social.diseases which it had accurately diagnosed. In regard to the coal industry, whatever he said wfla the result of hid practical knowledge and experience of the industry. He had worked in the mines in New Zealand for over seven years and had been tho miners' representative to the Government for sixteen years. He had gone to work in mines in Australia when he was nine years; old. Be proceeded to detail some of the conditions under which the miners have to work, the cost of production of coal, and where the profits of the industry went to. He blamed the "coal barons," tho Pnion Steamship Company, and the coal merchants, all of whom took a great deal Wore out of the industry than the miners, and lie said it wa« no use blaming the miners for Striking, or for the increase of the price of coal. The miners received about Is lid per ton for hewing coal, and the Union Company charged lfls per ton for freight between Greymouth' and Wellington. The Union Company received about £BO,OOO per annum for carrying State coal alone. Since 1011 the miners had received an increase of 7d per ton in their wages, while in that time the cost of freights had doubled. Mr. Semple denounced the attitude of the prees towards the Labor Party, and to the miners in particular, about whom they knew very little; and told a lot of falsehoods. He challenged the editor of any paper, or any mine manager or politician, to meet him on the public platform on tho coal question. He declared with emphasis that between the "coal miner and' the people there was a gang of commercial "erodes," who rooked the people. Mr. Semple then addressed himself at some length to the question of the shipping monopoly, and dealt with it from the standpoint of Labor, characterising; those involved in it as thieves and leeches. He declared that the shipping concerns were so indemnified during the ;War against losses by submarines that levery lost' by such means put profits into "the pockets of the shareholders in the shipping companies. The Labor Party's solntkm-of the problem was State ownership of shipping services. Ha concluded with'; an appeal for support for the Labor Party, who rtood for tbo common control of the industries of the country for the people. The party vdid not. advoeate force. It was the im'plaesNo loe of force, whioh was the f weapon of the capitalist. He wanted a ; revolution, btrt a revolution in the minds [of men.

At the conclusion of the addressee, "wlifch ■fare attentively listened to and frequently applauded, a number of questions were answered, and the meeting concluded with votet' of thanks to the speakers and the chairman, which were carried with enthusiastic applause. At Mr. Semple's call, cheers were also given