COAL INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 133, 29 February 1936, Page 11

COAL INDUSTRY

Future Discussed By Minister RATIONALISATION SCHEME By Telegraph—Press Association. Hamilton, February 28. The future of the coal industry of New Zealand was discussed by tbe Minister of Mines (the Hou. P. C. Webb) at a banquet given in bis honour at Huntly last evening. Air. Webb expressed the hope that while he was Alinister of, Alines the coal mines of New Zealand would bo owned and worked by the nation for the good of the nation. Aline owners and men had advocated a scheme of rationalisation, the Minister said. There were a great many difficulties in the way of carrying out the proposal. Where there were many competing companies with conflicting ideas and interests as there were in New Zealand rationalisation was not easy. The output of the present mines could be doubled if the men could be given full-time work. Before rationalisation could come about everyone in the industry should be engaged in work for the common good and the welfare of New Zealand. At present the coal industry was faced with opposition from electricity and oil. There was an amount of £40,000,000 sunk in electrical schemes in New Zealand.

Mr. Webb said he did not want to see men working in mines a day longer than was necessary. If mines had to be closed other employment would have to be found for the men. They had now to continue their work there owing to economic pressure. Owing to the mprch of scientific development, 20,000 tons of coal were being replaced every year by oil, most of which came from foreign countries. No less than 108,000 tons of slack coal was being destroyed annually. From every ton of Waikato coal between 40 and 50 gallons of petrol could be extracted, and he thought a great national crime was being permitted in allowing so much slack coal to be wasted, as was the case in Waikato. Reference to the use in Waikato coal mines of machines for cutting out pillars, which were the cause of the recent'dispute, was made by the Minister. He said that the machines should be welcomed and should be made the slaves of men, but the Government did not want the machines used in such a way as to endanger the safety of the men. Their safety depended on good hearing, and if the men could not hear “creeps” in.the pillars because of the machines the machines would have to be removed.