AUSTRALIAN COAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 May 1943, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN COAL

SERIOUS SHORTAGE REPORTED

SYDNEY, May 14

The demobilising from the A.I.F. of miners who have fought in the Middle East and New Guinea theatres and sending them back to the coalfields is believed to have been one recommendation in a report by the Australian Coal Commission to the Federal Government. It is considered that these men would be a valuable influence in preventing coalfields stoppages. The serious position of Australia's coal reserves has again been brought under public notice by the chairman of the Coal Commission (Mr. Norman Mighell). Because of stoppages nearly 1,000,000 tons of coal is reported to have been lost already this year. “My Commission has been compelled to. divert coal from other industries to keep munitions factories supplied,” said Mr. Mighell. “As a result stocks held by the railways and electrical undertakings and other services have been considerably curtailed. Ships have had to leave for other countries without urgently needed cargoes of coal. I cannot allow the owners, the miners or the public to be lulled into false complacency about coal reserves. The fact is that, production this year has not been sufficient to supply our own internal requirement's with the result that reserve stocks in all States have been substantially reduced." Recommendations by the Coal Commission for reducing the loss of production by stoppages are believed io include a system aimed at quickening the processes of arbitration. The miners are understood, too, to be seeking an altered scheme of taxation. Some men refuse to work after they have earned a certain amount on the ground that further income would be absorbed by taxes. The establishment has been suggested of a common fund to be subscribed to by owners and -the miners from which all disputed claims for money could be met pending consideration of claims by reference to a board. The board would then decide the merits of the claim and direct whether the money should be returned to the fund or not. Advocates of 'this plan suggest that all the costs incurred by a company in preparing its mine for production should be drawn from such a fund if the men refused work. They state that the cost of preparing a mine for production ranges between £5O and £4OO. An increasing number of miners’ organisations are expressing their resentment at the continued stoppages caused by irre'sponsibles.