UNIONS PROPOSE RESTRICTION ON OPEN-CUT MINES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1948, Page 6

UNIONS PROPOSE RESTRICTION ON OPEN-CUT MINES

BRISBANE, Oct. 13.

The Australian Coal Industry Tribunal (Mr F. Gallagher) was told that the Miners’ Federation had decided that open-cut collieries in Australia should be restricted or closed down in the event of production exceeding demand. He was hearing the application by the federation for a 35-hour five-day week. The general secretary of the federation (Mr G. W. S. Grant) read out a resolution agreed upon at the federation’s national convention, which said, in part: “We declare our opposition to any policy of seeking to meet Australia’s rising demand for coal by the widespread and haphazard development of open-cut mining as an alternative to the essential reorganising and development . of underground mining, upon which the stability of the industry, and hence that of all industries, depends. • “We will resist any such lopsided development with all the means at our disposal, and we resolve that upon supply meeting demand no further open-cut development shall take place 'and that open-cut mines shall close down operations pursuant to the surplus of coal over requremients.”

Rubber Sent To U.S. A thousand tons of raw rubber representing the first consignment of strategic materials which Britain is sending to the United States undei the Marshall Plan’s reciprocal arrangement, arrived at New York today. It is understood that about 25,000 tons of rubber will eventually be supplied under the arrangement.—New York, Octobei 12.

House Of Commons’ Relics The Times states that relics from the House of Commons have now been presented to the United States Congress, and each of the 48 States, as a souvenir of the common traditions of the Eng-lish-speaking peoples and their comradeship in two world wars. The relics consist of pieces of stone and lead, which once formed part of the fabric of the House of Commons. They have been mounted, inscribed, and framed in American mahogany cases, which hang in conspicuous positions in Washing ton and it. the capitals of each State. —London, October 14. World Lead

A great responsibility rested upon the British Commonwealth of Nations to lead the nations of the world away from the shadow of war, said Sir John Boyd-Orr, speaking “at Glasgow. The Commonwealth’s resources were far greater than those of the United States and Russia, and it had political maturity which neither would gain for another generation. Whitehall sometimes failed to grasp the significance ox the great role of the Commonwealth in the world crisis. It was the nearest approach to a community of free nations the world had ever seen.—London, October 12.

Oil in China Sea Sir Godfrey Mitchell, one of Britain’s foremost constructional engineers, left this week for Borneo to supervise oil drilling operations under the bed of the China Sea. His departure draws attention to Britain’s efforts to develop new supplies of oil from nondollar sources in many parts of the world. Oil men are tapping even unlikely areas in the hope of rich strikes which would satisfy the world hunger for oil. Russia is known to be energetically drilling in the Caspian Sea shallows—London, October 13.

British Harvest Doubts about the British harvest have now passed, with a statement by the Ministry of Agriculture that it is practically all in now and that crops are well above the average. It is estimated that wheat has yielded 19.9 hundredweight to the acre, compared with 15.2 last year. The 10-year average yield is 18.7 hundredweight. Other yields are: barley, 19.3 hundredweight an acre, compared with a 10-year average of 17.4 hundredweight; oats, 17.4 hundredweight an acre, compared with 15.3 hundredweight last year and a 10-year average of 16.5. The delayed harvest held up autumn cultivation, but in many places farmers are ploughing and sowing in good conditions.— London, October 13.