N.Z. COAL MINES

Grey River Argus, 7 December 1940, Page 6

N.Z. COAL MINES

RECORD OUTPUT Expected for the Year [Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, December b. “It is confidently expected that the output of coal this year will constitute a record for the Dominion.’’ said the Minister for Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb), when replying in me House of Representatives to-day to an urgent question asked by Mr C. A. Bartell (Government, Hamilton,. Mr Webb said th e position in the North Island was a.ways more dillieult than in the south, and at the .present time lack of shipping was .temporarily holding up production, and causing som e collieries to be idle. Everything possible was being done to overcome this difficulty. The average yearly production. of coal for the years 1930 to .1934, before the advent, of a Labour Government, was 2,084,689 tons, said the .Minister. For the subsequent live years the average was 2 219,858 tons, an increase of 134,896 tons yearly. Th t . figures of annual production, a man were as follows: —A man underground: 1930-1934. -561; 1935-1939, 674. A man on the payroll: 19301934. 415; 1935-39, 499. It would be seen that there had been an increase since (he Labour Government came into power of 113 tons a man employed underground, and 84 tons a man on - the payroll. Underground workers in coalmines were required to work an eight-hour shift, bank to bank, actual tim e worked at the face depending upon travelling time underground. In 1936 a 40-hour week of five days was brought into operation. but no decrease in production resulted. On Ihe contrary, an increase b.ad been shown. The production of coal last year was only exceeded previously on four occasions, in 1927, 1928, 1929. and 1930, during the Australian strike.