Two Ships Idle Today: No Coal Stocks On Wharf

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1948, Page 4

Two Ships Idle Today: No Coal Stocks On Wharf

There has been no improvement in the situation at the Strongman State mine where coal production has been reduced during the past month by more than one-third, and as a result, two ships were idle at the Greymouth wharf today awaiting coal to commence loading operations. The- strict enforcement of shotfiring regulations in district coal mines early this month resulted in a big' drop in the output of the Strongman mine, where the hard coal made it a difficult and protracted task to make the necessary cuts along the side and bottom of the coal face to be brought down by shots. The production during the past three weeks has ranged from 190 to 250 tons instead- of the usual 400 tons, and something under 1000 tons of coal a week is being lost to production. Pay envelopes for Strongman mines a week ago were below average, even though in one week in the pay period normal production was obtained, but next Friday’s pay will be considerably smaller with a bigproportion of the men on the minimum daily rate of about 35s a day. By working the full 10 shifts each man may earn little more than £l6 for a fortnight on the minimum rates, but the usual deductions make the “lake-home” pay considerably small-

er. Four ships took 6000 tons of coal from Greymouth last week, the last, the Kiwitea, loading part of her cargo on Saturday and almost exhausting the available stocks. The Kaimai and the Kaimiro which arrived during the week-end were unable to commence loading today but are due to start tomorrow with today's production from district mines. In the meantime a third vessel, the Storm is loading coal and a fourth, the Gabriella, is dischareim? cargo.