A STATE COAL MINE.

Evening Star, Issue 11495, 12 March 1901, Page 8

A STATE COAL MINE.

Referring to the proposed State coal mine, the Premier informed a deputation of trade unionists on Saturday that it was no use the Government improving the condition of the workers and assisting in increasing their earnings if those earnings were to be taken from them by those, who added undue cost to the necessaries of life. He had put a party of miners to work at Mokihimii. and they were getting thousands of tons of coal out of a mine described to him as no good. He also intended putting a party of cooperative miners to work' the. Cardiff mine. Jn the step he now proposed he wonld have the support of his colleagues, and he believed not only the workers, but all consumers. When he could gft West port coal for the railways at 19s to 21s per ton, while ho would have to pay. if hi wanted it for household purposes, 38s or £2 a ton, it was obvious that a condition of things existed which ought to be met. Not oniv so, but it was the duty of the Government, as the largest coal consumer in the colony, to have, coal mines of their own. if oniv for their own consumption. They would select a field which was not in broken country or too fax from railway or shipping facilities, and next session he would ask Parliament to authorise the opening of a coal.mine to be worked by the State.