MINES HOLIDAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21581, 7 December 1944, Page 6

MINES HOLIDAY

VOTE AGAINST CUT ATTITUDE LODGES GOVERNMENT DEFIED? (Special Australian Correspondent.) (9 a,m.). SYDNEY, Dec. 7. , The miners’ lodges throughout New .South Wales have voted against cutting, their Christmas holidays from. 16 to 10 days. Last week' the Federal Government issued national security regulafibtig. reducing the miners’ n'ormal Chtistmas break from 16 to 10 days. : ’ ’ The' Sydli'ey Morning Herald's in;dUStrial "correspondent says: “It is :e6nsidbi*ed certain- that many miners Will defy the Government's order. The lodges in the north and south of the State’are heavily in favour of the ’iprtg holiday period, while the miners irtf the western district, who have already achieved a record output for the year, are evenly divided on the question. Government and transport officials fear that if the miners defy the’Government and take the full 10 days there will be a big cut in the heavy metals output and in the transport services early in the New Year. A month ago the acting Prime Minister. Mr'. F. Mi Fovde. warned that, if coal ’ production dropped, the heavy industries would have to close. It the -miners take the full leave at Christmas the coal loss for six production Mays Will be 275,000 toils. If holidays are limited, to 10 days, only three normal production days will he lost for 138.000 tons of coal.” After several days almost free from : stoppages, five mines, employing 1200 ;men and producing nearly 4000 tons , of coal, daily, were idle on Tuesday.