MINERS COMPLAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 43, 20 February 1942, Page 7

MINERS COMPLAIN

SHORTAGE OF RAILWAY

TRUCKS

(0.C.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

Complaints that there was an acute shortage of railway wagons were made at the majority of mines at the Huntly coalfields today. The Renown mine finished work at midday and Botowaro at I p.m. At Glen Afton and McDonald the men were occupied from 2.30 p.m. until the end of the working day in filling coal boxes and other jobs. The miners consider that insufficient-effort is being made to unload the wagons, in spite of a shortage of coal throughnut the North Island, and it is alleged that dozens of wagons have been waiting in the railway yards to be unloaded. The miners are also annoyed at the short-time work because they have to pay full bus and rail fares to the mines.

The complaints follow a statement last night by Mr. G. S.. Reid, traffic manager for the Railway Department in the Auckland district, that special efforts had been made to keep the mines working full time, and that since Christmas a very. large measure of success had been obtained, although there had been a few shortages of small duration. A shortage yesterday was due entirely to abnormal conditions brought about by sudden war demands and it was possible that enough wagons could not be assembled today to keep the mines working for the full time. Every effort was being made to release a sufficiency of trucks for the mines.

While wagons were loaded at high rates at mines and manure works, the rate of discharge at their destinations was not always commensurate, which automatically brought about a shortage, said Mr. Reid. The reason for their slow discharge was in most, cases the indifference of the consignees He urged consignees to discharge wagons promptly in order to keep the available stock moving.