THE COAL INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 22275, 28 February 1936, Page 8

THE COAL INDUSTRY

MR WEBB DISCUSSES THE FUTURE DIFFICULTIES OF RATIONALISATION OPPOSITION FROM ELECTRICITY AND OIL [P BR United Press Association.] HAMILTON, February 28. The future of the coni industry or New Zealand was discussed by the Minister of Itfines (Hon P. C. Webb) at a banquet given m his honour at Huntley last evening. Mr W ebb expressed Jhe hope that while he Minister of Mines the coal mines or New Zealand would he owned and worked by the nation for the good ot the nation. The mineowners and men had advocated a scheme of rationalisation. The Minister said that there were a great many difficulties IT the way of carrying out the propose). Where there were so many competing companies with conflicting ideas and interests as there were in New Zealand rationalisation was not easy. The output of the present mines could be doubled if the men could be given work for full time. Before rationalisation could come about everyone in the industry should be engaged in work for the common good and for the welfare of New Zealand. At present the coal industry was faced with opposition from electricity and oil. There were £40,000,000 sunk in electrical schemes in New Zealand. Mr Webb said he did not want to see men working in mines a day longer than was necessary. If the mines bad to be closed other employment would have to be found for the men. They had now to continue their work there owing to economic pressure. Continuing, Mr Webb said that owing to the march of scientific development 20,000 tons of coal were being replaced every year by oil, most of which came from foreign countries. No fewer than 108,000 tons of slack coal were being destroyed annually. From every ton of Waikato coal between 40 and 50 gallons of petrol could be extracted, and he thought a great national crime was being permitted in allowing so much slack coal to be wasted as was the case in the Waikato. Reference to the use in the Waikato coal mines of machines for cutting out pillars which were the cause of the recent dispute was made by the Minister. Mr Webb said machines should be welcomed, and should bo made the slaves of men; but the Government did not want machines used in such a way as to endanger the safety of the men. Safety depended on good hearing, and if men could not hear “ creeps ” in the pillars because of the machines the machines would have to be removed.