NORTHERN COAL COMPANY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 298, 15 December 1914, Page 4

NORTHERN COAL COMPANY.

REARRANGING WORK. KIEIPAKA MINE RE-OPENED. OLD NORTHERN JUKE ENDrNG. Infox-mation having been received that 60 men were given notice by the directors of the Northern Coal Company, a representative of the "Auckland Star" waited upon Colonel Holgate (managing director) this morning to ask if the position was as stated. Colonel Holgate, who returned from the mine last nigbt, said it was quite true that 14 days' notke had been given to the wages men in the old Northern coal mine. That was due to the fact that the directors were considering Hie advisability of continuing work in that mine by contract. The managing director explained that the old Northern mine was approaching the end of the coal within its area, and it was always the practice when a mine was finishing to do the balance of the work by contract. As a matter of fact, the coal in tfie old Northern mine had. Colonel i Holgate explained, lasted longer than was originally anticipated, but it was now. manifestly drawing towards its finish. It was most likely, he considered, that the directors would let contracts for getting out the remainder of the coal from the face. The output would, of course, be lessened, but it would lengthen the term of work for the men who took the contracts. The lessened output would be made up from the new Northern mine, ] where the known coal measures would i'keep up the supply for the next twenty years, even if the boring operations did not disclose the existence of other measures. Some of the men from the old Northern mine would be absorbed in the new one, as to get an increased output more hands would be required. The directors had also decided to re-open the Kiripaka mine, which closed down at the tijne of the strike about two years ago. Already six men have been sent to Kiripaka, and others would follow. It is understood that the directors in- ! tend to instal at the new Northern coal mine an electrical plant for pumping and I hauling in the lower section of that property. "Most of the men," added Colonel Holgate, "who have received notice at the old Northern mine will find work either on • contracts in that property or iv the new Northern mine and at Klripaka. Already some of the men have been sent to the latter mine."