COAL AND GOLD

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 131, 6 June 1938, Page 7

COAL AND GOLD

MINING PROSPERITY STATEMENT BY MINISTER (By Telegraph—Press AUCKLAND, June 5.An increase of over 4000 m in the gold production of the Dominion in the past year is attributed by the Minister of Mines (the ' Hon. P. C. Webb) chiefly to dredging operations in the South Island. He gave the information today that dredges. costing over £1,000,000 are . now In' process of construction, arid several be producing gold, within a few months. "It is gratifying, to know:.that the country thai has been well .bored and tested before dredging operations invariably turns out to be dividend-bear-ing to the companies concerned," said the Minister. "The new dredges are going to operate in country that was well bored and investigated by the companies before they decided to embark on the huge expenditure involved in the building of the dredges." Mr. Webb expressed the view that coalmining throughout the Dominion was now in a very healthy condition. All the mines were working practically full time. The Waikato mining field had been seriously hampered through a shortage of railway rolling stock. The question of rolling stock had caused the Railway Department a great amount of concern for some years. The present Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), when he assumed control, immediately gave orders for the securing of a large quantity of steel for wagon)making purposes. Much of this steel had not yet come to hand from overseas. The Department had provided employment for every riveter it could obtain, so that nothing had been left undone by the Government to provide additional rolling stock. The demand for coal was good, and the miners were now working under better conditions than in the past. For the first time the miners would enjoy Christmas holidays on full pay, this being a measure of justice .hat was long overdue. The introduction of a. system of uniform screening in the Waikato mines had resulted in a solution of the problem of the disposal of the slack of small coal which in the past had been responsible for a loss. of at least 100,000 tons annually. The saving of this huge amount of coal was undoubtedly of great national benefit and the gain to the companies concerned contributed much towards meeting other costs. "The utmost harmony prevails through the industry," added Mr. Webb, "and I am looking with confidence to another good year in the mines."