HUNTLY MINERS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 14

HUNTLY MINERS.

PROSPECTIVE DISTRESS. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. ('fRES.-J ASSOCIATION TELEGKiM.) WELLINGTON, March 5. Straight talk on the part of the Minister of Mines and tho secretary of the .Miners' Federation (Mr I*. O'Rotirke) was indulged in at a deputation this morning, which asked that the Government take steps to find employment for tho men whose services are likely to be dispensed with us a result (if the Taupiri Coalmining Company closing down Extended niino at Huntly. Tho deputation was introduced by Mr P. Fraser, M.P., and comprised Messrs P. O'Rourke (representing the Miners' Federation), J. Parlane (Alliance of Labour), and R. McKeen, M.P. The Hon. R. F. Bollard (Minister of Internal Affairs) and tho Under-Secretary of Mines (Mr W. R. Kimball) were present at tho inter-

view. Mr Frasor said that many of tho men at Huntly were in an unfortunato plight, and it was desired that the Government find work for them bo as to ameliorate their position. Mr O'Kourko said it had to be admitted that the wholo of tho Huntly population was in a precarious position. ft the Extended mine wero closed down it would bo serious both for the business peoplo and miners. So far as tho old Taupiri mine was concerned, ho was satisfied it was unsafe, and that it was the best thing for it to be closed down, as it was nothing more than a "gasometer." However, if the mining activities of the district were to bo closed down, it would put the people in a serious position, and the Government should do something to help the men affected. There were other mines in the district which might be developed, and a railway line to Raglan might bo put in hand. If the Taupiri Company refused to sink a new shaft, then the Government should compel it to do so, or else work the field itself. It was not a fair thing for a man who had established himself at Huntly and built a home there to have his means of livelihood taken away by the action on the part of the Taupiri Company. He believed there were about l2Bmen I affected. The Government could perhaps see its way clear to work the Mac Donald mine. In spite of what Government officials had said, he Btill declared the old Taupiri' mine to be . unsafe, and was glad it was closed. The Minister: "It is not paying so as to warrant us starting out in competition in an area where there are railways and where there are mines close by those railways. I could not compete in the Auckland market with these others." Mr O'Rourke had said that part of the Government's mining area in the Waikato had been sold. That was not so. None of it had been sold or leased. Mr O'Rourke: Other people are exploiting it. Tho Minister: You are asserting that other people are taking coal out of our leases. That is a very serious statement. I hope the Press will publish it. Mr O'Rourke said that the Government had proposed to exploit the coalfields in the Waikato, and the whole of the country' Was opened now. Somebody was responsible for allowing the Taupiri Company to take the area right through and force the Government out on to tho limestone right'-; . on the verge of the field of coal. A : blind man who had had any experience of mining could see that the site the Government proposed to exploit was on the verge of the limestone country. "I hope the Press will publish that-," remarked Mr O'Rourke. The Minister: You said that tho company is proposing to take coal within the State's area. Mr O'Rourke: You have leased it. The Minister: Oh, don't quibble. Mr 0 'Rourke: I say in the first place the State had all that area, and that later on you allowed the Farmers' Company to come in on tho Pukemiro end, which was certainly the good end ,of .tho field. Tho Minister: Your latest statement was that the Farmers' Company was allowed to take coal off our land. "I didn't put it that way," protested Mr O 'Rourko. . In reply, Mr Anderson said the closing down of the mine was to bo regretted. He presumed the deputation wanted the Government to find employment on the spot for the men at Huntly. Mr O'Rourke: Yes. Tho Minister: Well, the Government cannot do that. Mr O'Rourke: Why? Tho Minister: It is obvious. Tho Government will do its best to provide for any men who wash to go on public works, but to ask tho Government to take over this mine or work any— Mr O'Rourke: Or exploit their own area. The Minister: The reason this mine has been closed down is that it won't pay, and has not paid for some time. If a private company cannot do it tho Government cannot possibly hope to do it, because the Government is hampered and always will be hampered in a way that private people arc not. Mr O'Rourke: I cannot agree with that statement. „The Minister: I can't promise you to find work on tho spot for the men. We have done our best already, and we understand that a good number of them will be employed in the Rotowaru m\ne. Tho Department has gone to the company and they hope that by working double shifts they will be able to employ quite a number at Rotowaru, which coal can be mined very much less expensively than the coal at Taupiri mine. The reason that this mine has failed is that the Glen Afton mine, Pukemiro and Rotowaru mines can mine coal easier than they (The Extended) can. They have not tho overhead expense. You said, Mr O'Rourke, that in your opinion this mine (Taupiri) is unsafe, and you inferentially blamed Government officers. Now, Government officers have visited this mine every week for months, and tlicy have informed _me that the mine was safe. That being the case, the company were not interfered with. With all due deference to you, Mr O'Rourke, I place more value upon these men's opinions than I do upon yours. I hold the responsibility for these men's lives, and if there had been any suggestion of this mine being a " gasometer" the mine would have been closed. Now, with regard to finding the men work, we will do what we can. You have said in public print that the Department had favoured mining companies. Now I challenge you publicly to give me instances. This Department has not favoured companies. It has prosecuted in every case in which there was a serious breach of the law as well as in many cases where it was not serious. It prosecuted ia every case which has come under its notice. Now, if you know of others you had better let us know. Mr O'Rourke: I refer you to your last letter to me._ The Minister: I wen't a rgue with vou. Mr O'Rourke: There are facts before you. Mr Anderson referred to certain happenings on the .West Coa&t, and

stated that tho mining inspector along with tho workmen's inspector went to tho spot. The only breach of the law discovered was found to have been committed by the men themselves. In seven different cases there was just as much reason for prosecuting; those men as tho employers. The trouble at the Extended mine was that it had been crushing, and tho company was now taking steps J..n deal with this. He had been askeil in open the MacT)onald mine. When he entered tho Ministry, he went into the* whole history of tliis mine, which ne found would cost the State at least £2.%,000 to open. He was not prepared to do it, and be did noT do anything;. It was utterly impossible to continue thafr mine at tho present time in competition with other companies. On the the "West Coast, the State Coal Mines Department fonnd it very difficult to compote with private enterprise. If it were not simply for the fact that tho State mine acted as a sort of "governor" on tho price charged fcf coal in the South TsTand, he would adivise the Government to close that mine down. The Government got no profit to speak of out of the State mine. It was only kept going because it acted, as he had said, as a "governor" on th« price Mr Fraeer: Tii* State mine has paid remarkably well. Tho Minister: I say that wTiat yon are saying now has nothing to dp troth what vou said at' first.

Mr O'Rourke: Qh you are Twisting. You need not come any of the bluff stakes like that. The Minister: "I am only defending my good name and character, and the officers of my Department. We will do "what we can. I tell you frankly I don't suppose we shall be able to get the men work in Huntly much as we would like to do so, but we shall endeavour to get them on public works. We have already approached other companies to take them 011. If there aro any vacancies in the State Mine on the West Coast, and we can employ them there, wo will do so, but it would be out of the question for me, under the present conditions, to hold out any hope of opening up that Waikato mine. What i have done, and hope future Ministers will do, is to preserve that coal for the future." The area was a splendid one and had been planted with trees which could be nsed for props, and he hoped that in the future that the coal would be mined. Mr McKeen wanted to know -whether the Government would pay the cost of transport of those men who might be sent to the State mine on the West Coast. They- would require to be assisted.

The Minister: We will be prepared to go into that. I am not giving a promise of anything on those lines, because I think that ,in many cases these miners would be able to pay their own way. They would feel rather insulted if I were to offer them assistance.

"Oh, don't worry about that," remarked Mr O'RourJke. v The Hon. R. F. Bollard, who is member for the district, said the Taupiri mine was a very expensive mine to work. He referred to the decision of the Railway Department at his suggestion to take 500 tons of steam coal per month from the Taupiri Company. That would mean that a good many men could be absorbed, but he did not know how many would be placed in tTie Rotowaru mine. He did not think tffe position would be found to. be 60 serious as it was thought to be. Married men should have preference in the matter of staying at Huntly. Mr MoKeen mentioned the question of coal importations. The Minister said that the State coal mine could not make forward contracts, If it could make contracts for two years ahead, there would not be very much trouble in disposing of the coal. Certain proposals for working the btate mine on a co-operative basis had been made recently, and he was glad to know that the State miners were still considering them. If these were adopted /they would help to bring about stability so as to permit of the making of forward contracts. He would do his level best to help the Huntly men, but he C , i I see h° w the ' Government fould find employment for all of them xn the Huntly district.