The Press SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1943. Goal Production

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23847, 16 January 1943, Page 4

The Press SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1943. Goal Production

In a recent statement at Auckland the Minister of Mines gave the total coal production for New Zealand, last year, as 47,670 tons in excess of that for 1941, which was 2,639,507 tons. The new figure, 2,687,177 tons, is the fourth in succession to break Dominion output records; and it is possible that the achievement is even better than it looks. In September Mr Webb compared production for the first six months of 1941 and of 1942, saying that the average output of underground miners had increased by nearly 19 tons and of all miners by 13 tons; but that 150 fewer miners were at work. Even if his many promises and plans to return miners from the camps to the collieries or to recruit new labour were fulfilled in the second half of tho year, it seems probable that the 1942 total was reached by fewer men than the 1941 total. On the assumption that the underground labour force was (say) 73 fewer than in 1941, the year's output was about 750 tons a man, compared with about 730 in 1941. Both these figures represent sharp advances over those for 1940, 1939, and 1938, which were 667, 661, and 660 respectively. On the other hand, in the three years before that the average output of underground miners was considerably higher: 681 (1935), 679 (1936), and 693 (1937). The marked difference in the averages for those two threeyear periods is generally overlooked, has not been explained, but ought to be remembered in estimating the real improvement of the last two years. It should be added, of course, that last year’s net increase was achieved in spite of the prolonged Waikato stoppage and others. But Mr Webb’s reference to this is a very unwise and misleading one. The northern district figures show an increase from 921,747 to 929,063 tons, or of 7316 tons. That is, as Mr Webb interprets them, “ the 50,000 tons lost “ through the strike were made up ” and a “ substantial surplus ” attained. This is nonsense. The time lost and the production lost were not made up and could not be. Had the strikers not thrown them away, the northern district “ surplus ” could have been nearly 60,000 tons and the New Zealand increase 100,000 tons. Mr Webb knows very well that the harm done by the strike was irreparable: he and his colleagues, Mr Sullivan and Mr Semple, could be quoted in the plainest terms on the point. It is no trivial, statistical error but a mischievous error of policy to suggest now, to the miners and the public, that the strike did no harm, or no more harm than could quickly and easily be set right. Instead, it would be useful to have from Mr Webb a clear account of what has been done, in accordance with his various statements on the subject, to assure sufficient production by increasing the number of miners at work.