THE COAL BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 221, 17 September 1919, Page 10

THE COAL BILL.

KOW TO REDUCE IT. ~J ■ ■■% SUGGESTED EESIEDIES. ,: : : _ » (Ey Telegraph.—Special to "Star."! •TVEIXKGTOK, Tuesday. Coal was a commodity discussed iby several legislators hi the course of The second reading debate oa tlie Board of Trsde Bill to-nig-nt. ilr. Luke heartily eupported the nationalisation of the ooal-ruining industry. Mining, ho remarked, was practically a hereditary occupation, and it was <juite probable that young men who went to the war from mining districts did not care to return to the unattractive occupation of coal-mining now they had come back. The Prime Minister now had a scheme to prove flimeelf a gTeat statesman by nationalising the coal mines within the next few day?, snd thus offer the whole country the opportunity of taking up again its march to prosperity. Dr. Newman remarked that there wa* a good deal to be said for and against ■,-oal -miners. The coal minor, with his ■hard work, risks of explosions. :\v.d mine creeps, miner's phthisis, and other IDs, got the " magnificent " price of. roughly, 76 a ton for his <-eal. yet when it reached the crrne-.imer it hail risen to £" 1(1/ or £3 15/ per ton. He considered there was in that interval a fine opportunity for the GoTernroent to distinguish itself in bringing down t':>e eont. The whole system of distribution was preposterous. He believed that, properly handled, the price of roal could be brought down by a pound per ton. and yet let the coal dealer live. Mr. Semple suggested that nn iloubt in a few days some miners would be prosecuted, but that would not get down to the root of the coal trouble. The oneway was to get at tlie parasitical few ivho .-outroHed the industry by nationalising tile mines.

Mr. Nosworthy: What are you doing with the State mines?

Mr. >emple: They are daneinsr to the tune of the private owners. Their administration w wrong.

THE MIXING BILLS. Mr. Poland asked the Minister of Mines to-day if he could indicate when he intended to bring down the Mining Bill and Coal Mines Bill. The member *aid he understood these bills were ready when the House met. He pointed out that, as the session would iie very short, it would be necessary for these mining bills to go before the Mines Committee. Unless they ivcrc introduced almost immediately, there would be no chance of them going through this session. The Hon. W. Fraser replied that he could not bring the Mining Bills down until Cabinet had approved of them, and opportunity had not ye| offered itself for considering them. He promised to get them before Cabinet at the earliest possible opportunity.