INCREASED OUTPUT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 69, 18 September 1937, Page 8

INCREASED OUTPUT

COAL PRODUCTION

During the first six months of this year the output from the principal coal mines in the Dominion exceeded 1,000,000 tons, which represents an increase of close on 35,000 tons on' the output for the corresponding six months the previous year. This production maintained in employment an average of 4346 workers, underground and on the surface.

In an interview, the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) said that the returns showed that the South Island mines had increased their output by 62,000 tons, while production in the North Island had decreased by 27,513 tons. The total production was 1,088,853 tons.

"An appreciable feature of the industry this year is the fact that for the comparative periods under review the importations of coal dropped by 7289 tons—from 54,250 tons to 47,061 tons," continued Mr. Webb, "but against that satisfactory gain our exports of coal decreased from 26,880 tons in the first six months last year to 21,431 tons during the first half of this year—a drop of 5449 tons. In view of the enormous increase in the use of electric power and heat throughout the Dominion, the -coal mining results are good.

"As Minister of Mines I would hay* been better pleased had the industry been able to employ more hands. The increase in the average number of workers was only 114 compared with the average total during the corresponding period in 1936. Still, it is gratifying to know that the industry is sharing in the national industrial recovery."