PRODUCTION OF COAL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1926, Page 9

PRODUCTION OF COAL

POSITION IN DOMINION NOTABLE ABSENCE OF STRIKES. PROPOSED BOARD OF CONTROL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The annual conference of the New Zealand Coal-mine Owners’ Association was held to-day. Mr. W. D. Holgate (president), reviewing the year’s operations at the mines, said that with the exception of a few minor disputes, the work had been carried on with little or no trouble, for which the miners, the owners and the industry could be congratulated, more especially when the serious position in England caused through the coal strike was considered. For some years past they had. been able to make agreements in conference with the miners by giving some concessions, which might not at the time appear to be large, but when the pay-sheet was made up it was found that the concessions had considerably increased the cost of production. In order to combat the ever-increas-ing cost of producing coal, some of the companies had been compelled to adopt improved methods of producing and handling coal. Up-to-date electrical plants had been installed, and electricity was generated at the pit mouth at a very nominal cost for haulage, operating coal-cutting machines, pumping, lighting and many other uses. Together with good roads laid with heavy rails underground, these, with other improvements, had effected a considerable saving in the eost of production. There was scope for more enterprise in better equipment, as it was only by better and more efficient methods of production that the owners could hope to make the mines pay. The output of 1926 might show a slight increase on account of the Railway TJepartment using more New Zealand coal. The "combined ability of the mines was, however, far in advance of the demand. It had been anticipated that when the Arapuni electric scheme was complete it would seriously affeet the sale of slack coal in the north, the same as the introduction of electricity did in the south some time ago. The owners were given to understand it was the intention of the Mines Department to ask Parliament to appoint a mine control board, but so far the matter has been allowed to stand over. If such a board was to be appointed he suggested that the matter should receive most careful consideration by the association, and that, instead of board control, the association should ask the Minister to appoint an advisory and research board comprising experts, whereon all the parties interested would be represented, and that the board hold office for a term of five years only.

The election of officers resulted: President, Mr. W. D. Holgate; vice-presi-dents, Mr. A. McKellar; executive, the Hon. T. S. Weston, Messrs. R. Lee, W. A. Flavell, W. Crawford and E. S. Wight.