COAL INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1919, Page 5

COAL INDUSTRY.

HOARD OF TRADE SCHEME EXPLAINED BY CHAIRMAN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christehurch, Lost Night. Mr. W. G. McDonald, acting chairman of the hoard, pointed otit to-day that misapprehension appeared to exist regarding the nature of the scope of the hoard's recommendations for the establishment of a Dominion coal board to take over the existing coal companies on certain conditions. It had never recommended the present shareholders being guaranteed any return to purchase the raiiies. The Government would have to borrow aild pay interest to bondholders, who would have no direct incentive to see that the coal mining venture of the State was efficiently managed, whereas, mitler the recommendation of the Board of Trade the board was of opinion that it wotild be beneficial to the coal-mining industry to foster to a higher degree the enterprise, initiative, and resourceful management and accumulation out of profits of the industry of a fund adequate for its future development without its becoming a burden upon other industries of the Dominion. Therefore the board's recommendation, if given effect to, would amount to the establishment of partnership between the State, Capital, and Labor in the coal-mining industry. Such a body would give the mine Workers a voice in the determination of the business, the policy of the industry, atid in the conduct of the management, thereby improving their status and alleviating, if not removing entirely, cases of' industrial strife and misunderstanding, both of which have been a marked feature of the trade's history during recent years, to the great detriment of the entire community. The proposal to raise by taxation money to buy out the present shareholders amounts to a levy on the other industries for the benefit of the coalmining industry, and is unsound in principle. PUBLIC OWNERSHIP SUGGESTED. The Woolston Borough Council passed a resolution in favor of public ownership and control of mining, transportation, and distribution of coal, with adequate representation of workers on the board of control, and condemned the proposal for semi-private control of the coalmining industry with a State guarantee of dividends to private shareholders embodied in the Board of Trade's report. CHRISTCHURCH CTTY TO GO INTO THE BUSINESS. Christchurch, Last, Night. The special coal committee of the City Council this afternoon decided to recommend to the City Council that, the municipality should go into business as enal dealers permanently. It wa9 decided that none of the coal obtained by the municipality should be sold to dealers, and that the municipality should control and distribute the supplies it obtains, The necessary officials were appointed to properly carry on the business.