WAIKATO COAL OUTPUT

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 September 1944, Page 8

WAIKATO COAL OUTPUT

MARKED DECLINE THIS YEAR

The production of coal from five Waikato mines during the four-week-ly period ended August 28 totalled 64,363 tons, which is 2608 tons less than in the corresponding period of last year, according to a statement issued recently by the Waikato Collieries’ Association. Production since the beginning of the year shows a decline of 47.783 tons compared with the same period of last year. Exclusive of the monthly permitted stop-work meetings, no such meetings were held :it three of the mines, and working time lost at the other mines from this cause totalled 4 hours 50 minutes. In addition, one mine was idle for a whole day following a stopwork meeting. Not taking into account men absent from work through accident or sickness, the percentages of average daily absenteeism at the respective mines were 7.6, 7.97, 9.06, 10.84 and 5.72. The total possible production during the four weeks with the present number of men, and working the time the men observe, which is less than eight hours a day, could have been 83,600 tons, compared with the actual production of 64.363 tons.