COAL TROUBLES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16946, 22 September 1920, Page 7

COAL TROUBLES.

»■ .... ... STATE MINERS IDLE. IRRITATION POLICY STRIKE. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, September 21. The coal situation in the Waikato was mentioned in tho House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr Parry, who asked tho Prime Minister whether anything was being done towards working for a settlement. Mr Massey replied that the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr P. Hally) v.-as in Wellington at the present time, Or at least ho was to have arrived by the boat that morning. Ke would be sent to Auckland, and from there would go on to Huntlv. He would possibly bo leaving to-night. That was all that could bo done at the present tjme. The Prime Minister added that information had been received that tho b'tate coal minors were out to-day on a four days' strike. This sort of thing, lie said, could not go on indefinitely. If there was going to be serious trouble he would sooner face it and be done with it than be up against this policy of pin-pricking any longer. If there was going to be trouble, he'was ready to face it. The men had either to produce coal in proportion to tlieir numbers, or some other means must be found of providing the coal. The information as it reached him—it was not official—was that they had gone out on account of there being conscientious objoctors ill the prisons of the Dominion. There were, however, no conscientious objectors in prison at the present tunc. Tliero were military defaulters in prison, but tho conscientious objectors iiad a!' been released some time ago. The Minister of Defence (Sir Ileaton Ithodes) said that lie wished to supplement the information given by the "Prime Minister. He had heard a rumour that the miners had ceased work because of there being conscientious objectors in prison. That was not a fact. There were fourteen military prisoners' in gaol. Ho believed that tiiree of them were convicted of crimes, and that the remainder were either defaulterf- or deserters, bnfc there wero no conscientious objectors there. Mr Holland asked whether the information concerning the cause of the strike had come direct from tho miners, or whethei it was onlv hearsay. His information on tho matter was entirely different. - Mr Massey said that he had Just received an official message, which said that the strike was on account of tho Broken Hill levy. It would be remembered that there had been a strike over two blacksmiths. Mr Holland: That was at Blackball. Mr Mnssev: I know that. Here is the official 'statement: ''State miners idle in agreement with irritation policy; four Havs a fortnight. Ostensible reason Broken Hill levy." THE WAIKATO DISPUTE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, September 21. In tho course of his reply to the statement made by the Hnntly Miners' Union last week, concerning the strike in the "Waikato, the Hon. E. W. Alison, chairman of directors of the Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., stated th.it during the last working year, which ended on August 27th, the Pukemiro Company's mine was worked on 254 days. Thero were fourteen mine holidays. Ten days were lost through strikes, one and a half were lost through a shortage of waggons, half a day as a result of a Breakdown of machinery, three days owing to lack of explosives,. and tli re© davs on account of the railway strike. The total number of shifts worked was 16,466. The total earnings of the miners was £-16,641 19s, an nverage of 20s 2id a day for each man. This includes the period during which the miners' go-slow policy was in operation. Assuming that the men had worked 270 days at normal pressure at present hewing rates, they would each havo averaged 30s a day, or an average for the year of £405 a man. Of the 170 men employed by the company, only some 27 per cent,, travel by rail to and from woru. Tho Taupiri Company, Ltd., emplovs 120 men at its, mines. 280 at the Extended mine, and 140 at Rotowaru. and only some 50 of these travel by train to their work. The average wage earned is 27s 5d a day for hand men, and 30s 4d for machine men. MINERS' FEDERATION" EXECUTIVE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, September 21. The executive of the Minors' Federation sat in Wellington to-day to consider what action should bo taken in connexion with the Waikato coalmines strike. Mr Arbuckle, secretary of tho Federation, informed a reporter that no decision of the executive was yet available for publication. ACUTE SHORTAGE IN AUCKLAND.

TRAMWAY SERVICE IN JEOPARDY (special to "the fkess.") AUCKAND, September 21. With thirteen days' shortage of coal from tho Waikato mines, it is not surprising that the Coal Control Coinmitteo in Auckland should find an acute shortage of coal all round, and the seriousness of the position is enhanced by the fac'; that tho shortage extends t-o all kinds of coal. The embargo on export from Newcastle, although lifted to a certain extent as far as Auckland is concerned, has operated very much against pulling up the shortage that exists in the Dominion, and even when a cargo docs arrive in Auckland, the cost i& very high. The Mayor stated this morning that nothing had happened since Saturday to brighten the outlook for the continuance oi the tramway service after tho « end of this week. "The position is just ' so much worse by the amount of coal we j have used from our vanishing stocks," j said Mi Gunson, in discussing the situ- ! ation, but he added that there was a j last resource, which afforded a gleam of i hope "A vessel is due to-morrow at- j Auckland, with a coal cargo," lie re- j marked, "and an urgent telegram has j been sent to the Prime Minister and j

Genera- Manager cf Railways, asking i for the loan to the City Council of 10C0 I tons of coal, especially for the tram- ; wavs' service. If we can secure this i'. will enable us to avoid a stoppage on the tramways' service on Saturday, otherwise there is no hope of preventing it, as local supplies, owing to the , cessation of mining operations in the ; "Waikato, have ceased, and there is no 1 oversee coal available. As I intimated on Saturday, tho City Council has been . entirely dependent for the past fort- i Eight upon its reserve stocks. As soon I ' as a reply is received from the Prime | Ministei and General Manager of the Railwav Department, the Public ScrI vices Committee will he in a position to 1 announce whether the tramways' ser- , ! vice wil' have to be suspended or not on j Saturday 5 nest." | "The Council/' added tho Mayor, | "has done everything possible to avoid anv dislocation of the city services, but further cables to hand from Newcastle intimatr. that the vessels which were j ioading for the Council are still held up, i and that further delay is occurring in their loading. The Prime Minister has also been urged to endeavour to secure the oarlv dispatch of these vessels from • Newcastle." | j ■ ,