SOLUTION NEAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 177, 28 July 1944, Page 4

SOLUTION NEAR

MINISTER'S BELIEF OPEN-CAST MINES' SUPPLIES (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. The belief that the coal problem of New Zealand was on the eve of being solved for all time, and that within the next three or four weeks there would be sufficient coal produced from open cast mines to warrant his saying that there would be an abundant standby of good coal in future, was expressed in the House of Representatives last evening by the Minister of Mines, Mr. Webb. The Minister said the criticism of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, of the coal industry had been fair. Two weeks ago he had investigated complaints against the miners in Southland, continued the Minister. One man might fill 30 trucks by 2 o'clock and stop work, while another man might fill 10 trucks in the same time. The miners on comparatively easy sections felt that when they had filled a certain; number they should give their mates in more difficult sections an opportunity to get their quota. What the miners wanted was an equal distribution of trucks so that all miners, in keeping with their agreement, would participate as equally as possible. Some Disgraceful Plant To open up the mines properly required up-to-date plant, and some of the plant being used to-day was a disgrace to mining practice. The mines were not worked with the plant, and machinery that would lead to economic efficiency, but the miners got the blame always. He agreed with Mr. Holland that there was no excuse for anybody to stop production because full machinery existed for the settling of disputes. The miners had done a tremendously good job in New Zealand throughout the war. Mr. Sutherland (Nat., Hauraki): Where is the coal going? Mr. Webb said the consumption of coal since 1939 had increased in gas works by 18 per cent. Before then the principal large gas retorts in the Dominion consumed 100,000 tons a year, but in the last eighteen months not a single ton of coal had been imported from Australia. The coal demand by the railways had increased by 16 per cent. Coal consumption for electric power supply had increased by 546 per cent, and lime and cement works showed an increase of 5 per cent in coal consumption. Miscellaneous industries established because of the war and military requirements had absorbed 100,000 tons a year.

More than 100,000 tons of coal were stripped ready for excavation by mechanical appliances, Mr. Webb said. There would still be difficulties of transport to and from the South Island to overcome. 1