IDLE MINES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1932, Page 5

IDLE MINES

[to the editor.] Sir, —Four weeks ago the delegates of the State Miners’ Union came to an agreement With the Mines Department, re altered working conditions, and a reduction of wages, and the promise of the Minister of Mines, was that the mines would work more time. It seems that the Minister of Mines remembered his promise for two weeks; but the third week was disastrous. One shift was "worked out' of a possible five t shifts. I have been working for fifteen years in the State mine, and I have noticed that every agreement made by the Mines Department, has been in force for only three or four weeks, and after that it is merely a “scrap of paper.” If the miner does anything against the agreement, the Department is all the time lecturing about it, either verbally or in writing. But nothing is said if the Mines Department treats an agreement, merely as something on paper, which can be broken at will. Recently in the “Star” there was a controversy between “State Miner,” ami “Co-op. Miner,” ami in my opinion this controversy was only a small matter, compared with the actual position at the State mine. The most damage being done to the industry, is caused by the importation of Australian coal. The public should know why Australian coal is cheaper than New Zealand coal. Firstly, the railway freight, wharfage, and cranes used in handling the coal on the wharf, arc twenty per cent, cheaper in Australia than in this Dominion. The Federal Government gives a bonus of 1/9 per ton, for coal mined for export. Further, the freight on coal, shipped from Newcastle to Wellington, is about 10 per cent, cheaper than coal shipped from Greymouth to Wellington. The freight on coal from Grey mouth to Christchurch is about as costly as the production of the coal itself. The only way to combat the unfair competition of Australian coal, is to levy every ton of Australian coal to a rate of ten shillings per ton. It is time that the people, on the West. Coast especially, woke up to the fact that the bottom is gradually dropping out of the coal industry, and as this is one of our principal means of livelihood. some action should he taken to make the Government prohibit the importation of coal. Last week the Gabriella came here simply to bunker, anl then loft for Newcastle to load coal, it is understood, for the Wanganui gasworks. Further the mine owners, coal merchants, and in particular the Mines Department, should not be allowed to forget that although reductions have been made in the men’s wages, to the extent of about 17 per cent., the price of coal re-

mains the same as it was twelve months ago. I am, etc., — ECONOMIST.