ACROSS THE TASMAN

Evening Star, Issue 20372, 2 January 1930, Page 16

ACROSS THE TASMAN

CONDITIONS IN HEW SOUTH WALES COAL AND OTHERjPROBLEMS . [Special io the Star.’] AUCKLAND, December 31. The acute depression in the coal mining industry in New South Wales and the conditions- which contributed to the trouble at the Rothbury mines were commented upon by Mr E. S. Marks, member for North Sydney in the New South Wales Parliament, when he arrived in Auckland this morning by the Maunganui from Sydney. Mr Marks is a Nationalist, and is making his twelfth visit to New Zealand. “The strike •trouble and the unstable condition of the wheat market has caused a certain amount of depression in Now South Wales,” said the visitor, “ and unemployment is rife at the present time. the whole of the trouble m the coal mining industry has been rcfeired to tlie High Court, and everyone is looking forward to seeing something satisfactory coming out of the matter. The shooting at Rothbury was a very unfortunate incident, and it has made feeling very but the Government had to open tire mines.” Referring to the difficult times that the coal mining industry in New South Wales was experiencing, Mr Marks said that in 1907 coal was one of the State’s cheapest commodities, whereas to-day it was the dearest in the world. \ f o one seemed to want coal now, and if the mines reopened to-morrow under tiie conditions the men demanded there would not be sufficient, trade to give them a reasonable number of clays work. 'lt was obvious that then operations would have to be intermittent, in '1925-New South Wales exported 1,770,000 tons of coal, added Mr Marks, and in 1928 the figures had been reduced to 1,130,000 tons. The interstate trade had also diminished, as instanced by the fact that in 1925 3,000,(100 tons of coal were sent to other States, while last year the trade had fallen away to 2,270,000 tons. The total output in 1925 was 11,400,000 tons and in 1923 only 9,450,000. In the same period the' prices for coal had risen from 12s a ton to 26s Id a ton, and in sisrteen years the commodity had developed from the cheapest in the work}-to the dearest. If the Ravin Government’s scheme to stabilise the industry had been carried into effect the pric. or coal would have been reduced by at least 4s a ton. and that would have been the means of creating ; more employment in other industries. The miners themselves would have also been able to earn a fair wage. Mr Marks, who will remain in the dominion until January 17 next, is well known in sporting circles. He is file representative of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association in Sydney, and has been a member and at times chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Council during the past thirty years. He made his first visit to New Zealand in 1890 with the New South Wales athletic team. Discussing politics generally Mr Marks confessed his welcome of the recess and the opportunity of making a further visit to the dominion, as the session through which the State larlir.ment had just passed had been-par-ticularly strenuous. The Bavin Government, owing to the sickness of several of its members, had had several close divisions, and feeling between, the various parties had been very bitter, particularly, on such questions a? the coal trouble and the timber workers strike. Several measures were strongly opposed by the Labour Government but were carried by resorting to the “gag,” or “guillotine.” The next sessi an "would commence on February’ 11, and last till Easter. A short session would be held after the vacation, and the elections would bo held in September or October. New boundaries would then be observed, and com pulsogy voting would be enforced for the first time. .