THE COAL-MINING INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20427, 23 December 1931, Page 13

THE COAL-MINING INDUSTRY.

TO THB «ITOK OT TH* »■» / Sir,-I would like to express my mdebtedneHß f of the excellent article which appeared in yotir issue of to-day in reZ»ce to, coal. While Zmons which applied to England t also gave a vivid idea of the indus try generally. The coal-mmmg enterprise has been, and b, n *3£ the march of progress to a fargreater ern &*»,» i. about to *- gI twelve months^

matter of 2,542,092 tons, .which constitutes a record for the Dominion. How many people really believe that offieiaJ statement? The general impression is that the coal : miner is always creating trouble, works only when forced to do so, and is guilty of holding up the whole economy of our industrial life. The record of the past year is the complete and final answer to the above fallacies. Disputes occur, and one or two days' strikes occasionally happen, but little harm is done by these tactics, which are largely incidental, and frequently are the expression of men who spend the inapt of their lives underground, for simple and for better conditions. A capable mine'manager on the Coast informed me quite recently that in twenty years he had , never had a strike among his men. At the moihent he spoke there were close on 200 men under his charge. All disputes in the industry do. not originate with the men. On the whole, the coal-miner is just as reasojjable, just as intelligent, and just as. human as the average of men found in other callings. Besides, discontent frequently pa;ves tne way to progress. Certain newspapers are largely responsible for the unfavourable lignt in which the miner is viewed and in which the industry is held'. Sensational headlines magnify trivialities and give the impression that the miner is a born pugilist, spoiling for a Sgnt, andbecause of inoessant trouble and off days has made the price of ooal the greatest luxury in the City. "What are the factsP The average price the miner gets for hewing coal is 3s 6d per ton. Last winter in Christchurch my ooal (West Coast) cost me over £3. Why such an abnormal difference? With a record production coal was plentiful, and therefore should have cost less. The miner was certainly not guilty of forcing up the P"ce. . , , . Jlany coal companies have proved to be absolute gold , mines to the shareholders. Even lignite mines within the past few years have made their owners rich. Whatever increase there may haye -been lately in the cost of production the. miner is not respon'My purpose, however, in this letter, is to place on record my appreciation of the miner and to wish him ami his family a Merry Christmas • and a Happy N« , December-22nd, > 1931^