COAL PRODUCTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8275, 21 October 1915, Page 3

COAL PRODUCTION.

i Tlie recent strike of coal miners in i Soulli Wales lends interest to the re- | port of the Departmental Committee j appointed to inquire into the conditions i prevailing in the coal-mining industry (due to the war. The summary of coni elusions arrived at by the committee contains the following:—" The number | or" persons from coal mines who joined f his Majesty's forces up to the end. of | February, 1915, is 191,170. We find 'from returns representing 89 per cent, 'of the total labour employed in coal - mines that the net decrease in mine > labour at the end of February amounted io 134,186 persons, or 13£ per cent. ot one persons employed in July, 1914, and that there has been, over the seven months August, 1914, to (and inclusive, I of; February, 1915, as compared ' with i ! the corresponding months 12 months J 1 earlier, an average fall in output of .3,044,329 tons (or a total loss in output of 13J per cent.), which loss will continue unless means are taken to pre-j vent it. , We also find that absence { i from work over all classes of mine- > workers was, for the seven months pre- | ceding the war, an average of 10.7 per; cent., and „for the seven months sue- , ceeding the outbreak of war an average J of 9.8 per cent.; and we have arrived at the conclusion that fully 4.8 per! cent, of this is avoidable absence. The \ absenteeism, taking the coal-getters only, is very much higher. The loss in ' production for the year commencing j from the outbreak of war will, unless ' : means are taken to reduce the loss, probably amount to 36,000,000 tons, \ against which must bo put a probable j reduction in the quantity of coal ex- ' ported of 24,000,000 tons, leaving a net ■! shortage of 12,000,000 tons. But if tno I .niners" continue to be recruited for tho forces the-deficiency will be increased. The evidence before us is conclusive J;l>at if labour is further withdrawn j from the colliories, notwithstanding the i adoption of all possible ameliorativo | measures, the output will be so reduced as to seriously affect the industrial position of the country, and the time anpears to tho committee to have arrived when very full consideration phould be given to the question as to *'hother further recruiting among the miners should be encouraged. We think that the importance, of wonomy in the use of coal should be brought Vfovc* tho public. Savings which at once occur to the mind are economies in public and private, lighting, whether by gas or electricity, and tho manufacture of luxuries which roquiro coal."