COAL PRODUCTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 303, 22 December 1943, Page 3

COAL PRODUCTION

INCREASE THIS YEAR DESPITE JjESS MANPOWER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb, announced to-night that the output of coal for the 11 months ended November 30 of this year amounted to 2,593,625 tons, which was an increase of 124,391 tons compared with the same period last year. Practically all fields had contributed to the increased production, a notable exception being the Buller area, where adverse mining conditions in one of the principal collieries and delays to shipping caused by bad conditions at the river port of Westport seriously impeded production. The output of coal last year amounted to 2,680,041 tons, and on the latest figures available it appeared evident that production for the current year would show an increase of about 125,000 tons, and would constitute a new record production for the Dominion. "Notwithstanding the difficulties which have been encountered since the outbreak of war, both in regard to manpower and supplies, we have stepped up the annual production by nearly half a million tons, or about 20 per cent, and each year has shown a steady increase in the output per miner employed," added Mr. Webb. "The difficulties we have had to face are not peculiar to this Dominion. Every country has had to face them in varying degrees, but none can show a better record."

The trend of consumption was still upward. Although the position of supplies of mining equipment was tending to improve, the manpower problem was still very acute, and the Government ' had now turned its attention to the possibility of boosting production by mechanical open - cast stripping methods.