BLACKBALL MINE

Grey River Argus, 23 July 1942, Page 2

BLACKBALL MINE

WORK RESUMING. On account of flooding the No. 1 North Section of the Blackball State mine, as yesterday reported by our correspondent, has been but by next week all the miners will be placed back >in work and the mine should soon reach full production again. Three shifts are being worked, with 10 pairs of miners. It is intended to place the remaining two pairs of men back on the coal next week. Three new headings have been broken out, one to the north, another to the south and a third to the west.

The pumps are still working in an endeavour to remove all the water from the north section and steady progress is being made. THE COAL RESTRICTIONS.

A denial that a commandeer of coal was contemplated, was made by Hon. P. C. Webb (Minister for Mines), in connection with the restriction of the supply of screened and unscreened household coal from the Strongman and Liverpool State Colleries. He said that coal for the railways (which needed stocks for military purposes) and for gasworks was seriously depleted, and supplies suitable for those purposes would not be available' for household use for a few weeks. Other household coal could be used. Coal from the Strongman and Liverpool mines was urgently needed for the railways and for gas. The coal from those mines was ideal for those purposes, but the sulphur content of coal from other mines made it unsuitable. The -Mines Department had no intention of extending the commandeer to coal from other mines on the West Coast, nor was it proposed to prevent supplies from the North Island mines from being used for household purposes. A certain proportion of the output from co-operative mines has been commandeered, but the remainder will be available as orders for household coal.