COAL MINE OWNERS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 55, 28 November 1929, Page 12

COAL MINE OWNERS

ANNUAL MEETING HELD YESTERDAY PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS The annual meeting of the New Zealand Coalmine Owners’ Federation to >k place at the New Zealand Employers’ Federation Offices yesterday, Colonel W. D. Holgate, president, being in the chair. President’s Address. “There is no doubt that the coal industry in New Zealand is over capitalised in productive capacity, equipment and man power,” said Colonel Holgate, in his address. “The demand could be more economically handled with three quarters of the collieries in existence,” Colonel Holgate said. “Unfortunately the coalmine owner’s business was different from any other business, in as much as it was possible for a coal company to reduce its expenses by dismissing labour. Such attempts had brought about small strikes. It would be possible for a company to work more economically if it were able to dismiss hands and work continuously instead of only three to four days a week, thus reducing overhead expenses. The increase of hydro-electrical power had been seriously felt, more especially in the North. The only solution to the difficulty as far as he could see was to follow the example of other countries by a merger of companies in certain districts, or failing ar a combined marketing scheme. By such an organisation overlapping and other expenses could be considerably reduced, and quite possibly cheaper coal could be sold to the public. Effect of N.SAV. Strike. Colonel Holgate said the coal trade generally during the past year had been maintained, but bad it not been for the strike in New South Wales the output for the Dominion would be considerably. reduced. The agreement entered into in 1928 between the owners and the miners’ unions had, on the whole, been well maintained, and work at most collieries had been steady. There had also been less slack time. This could be accounted for to some extent by the strike in New South Wales. Judging from the returns showing the miners’ earnings during the past 12 months, they should have every reason to be satisfied with the agreement. A suggestion that the growth of the practice of holding stop-work meetings should be carefully watched, vas made by Colonel Holgat Reference was also made to the action of the Waikato companies in joining forces to develop the carbonisation process of handling coal and to the growing use of pulverised coal.

Following the presidential address, Colonel Holgate was re-elected president, and Mr. W..E. Flavell vice-presi-dent.