MEETING PROTESTS AT MINES CLOSURE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29487, 13 April 1961, Page 17

MEETING PROTESTS AT MINES CLOSURE

(brom Out Own Keporteri

GREYMOUTH. April 12. The Minister of Mines (Mr Shand) will be asked by a deputation from Blackball to reconsider the decision to close the Blackball and Roa State mines. Between 500 and 600 persons who attended a meeting in Blackball this evening decided to send a representative deputation to the Minister in Wellington next week.

It had been expected that the meeting would be stormy, but it was quiet and orderly. “That this public meeting of representatives of the United Mineworkers of New Zealand, of other organisations, business houses and citizens expresses its greatest concern at the closing of the mines,” was one of four resolutions put forward by the Mayor of Greymouth (Mr F. W. Baillie) and adopted by the meeting. Because the preservation of the Blackball township and the protection of the capital investments of so many of its residents was so important to all concerned in the future of the West Coast, the meeting asked the Government to consider some alternative use of coal in the district and urged that every endeavour be made to establish a briquetting plant or some other provision for the alternative use of coal on the West Coast. As the miners were Government employees, the Government should be asked to protect their interests. The meeting also proposed that Professor S. R. Siemon, head of the chemical engineering department of the University of Canterbury be asked to make further research into the use of West Coast coals.

A resolution moved by Mr F. Crook, secretary of the United Mineworkers’ Union of New Zealand, was carried as follows: ‘That this meeting views with great concern the intention of the Minister of

Mines in respect of the proposal to close the Blackball and Roa mines, and in an endeavour to try to induce the Minister to further consider the position before any finality is reached a deputation consisting of national officials of the United Mineworkers and delegates together with one from the Blackball and Roa Miners’ Union and any local bodies that care to be represented wait upon the Minister tn Wellington.”

Another resolution carried was one moved by Mr J. Etheridge, representing the Inangahua County Council. It was “that the first concern of this meeting be that the Minister should assure a continuity of work in the Blackball and Roa mines” In addition to Mr Baillie, the speakers were Mr A. C. Prenderville, of Nightcaps, president of the United Mineworkers’ Union, Mr Crook, of Christchurch, secretary of the union, Mr P. Blanchfield, M.P. for Westland, Messrs D. J. Ryall, chairman of the Grey County Council, S. E. Browne, chairman of the West Coast Composite Coal Committee, J. Doyle, West Coast Trades Council, J. Murphy, Greymouth branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, R. Taylor, Greymouth branch of the Communist Party, J Leishman, secretary of the Blackball Ratepayers’ and Citizens’ Association, J. W. A. Geddes, Westland District Progress League. J. B. Hood, Hokitika Progress League, Etheridge, and J. Clarke, president of the Labour Representation Committee.