REEFTON MINERS’ HOSTEL OPENED BY MR McLAGAN

Grey River Argus, 19 April 1948, Page 5

REEFTON MINERS’ HOSTEL OPENED BY MR McLAGAN

The first of a number of Gov<Arnment hostels being constructed in the mining areas in an effort to attract labour to th# mines, the new Reefton hostel, which, with equipment and furnishings has cost over £45,000, was opened on Saturday afternoon by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. A. McLagan.

The new hostel will accommodate 52 men with a staff of seven, and it includes several groups of hutments, with dining room, sitting and writrooms, and the manager’s flat in the main building. In opening the hostel, Mr McLagan announced that hostels to accommodate a total of nearly 200 men will be completed this year at Huntly, Chai and Bennydale. In addition, a building formerly used by the directors of the Westport Coal Co. at Granity was to be used, as the central building for a hostel there to accommodate 50 men. The possibilities at Denniston, Blackball, Runanga and Greymouth were also being investigated. “We aim to provide the highest possible standard of accommodation," said the Minister, “and this building has accommodation never previously given the working men of this country. When the grounds are laid out, this will be an institution of which Reefton can be proud. “We expect the' residents themselves to show that they are worthy of the accommodation provided for them,” he added. “To date, 79 miners from the Old Country had come to New Zealand, and of these 20 were in Reefton. The hostels, however, will not be exclusively for those engaged in mining, but will be available to local .residents as well.

The Minister read apologies from the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, and from the Hon. C. F. Skinner, M.P. for Buller. Mi’ Fraser’s message said that the hostel represented a sound practical advance for the district. The Government, he added, was most anxious to alleviate the housing position, especially in the mining areas. “This hostel is tangible proof of the Government’s aporeciation of the mining industry, and recognition of the very important part the miner plays in New Zealand’s economy.” said Mr McLagan. “It will be welcomed by the miners, and will ensure that coal production is maintained at a high level.” More coal was needed, said Mr McLagan, to meet New Zealand's spreading industrial expansion, and to maintain our standard of living, we needed to increase the coal output. The only way to do that was to provide the accommodation.

After referring to increasing production, the Minister said that the new Webb mine in the Buller district would be completely mechanised. It was necessary to plan the development of coalfields, and the Reefton area was being kept’steadily in mind by the Government. In _ the past production had 'been got quickly and cheaply, to the cost of subsequent working. Reefton Field’s Prospects "I am hopeful that in the Reefton field we will find one of the major fields of New Zealand,” added Mr McLagan. Mr McLagan thanked the Government architect, the builders and subcontractors for their work and said that a fine job had been done. The Department of Labour intended to seek the co-operation of an advisory committee, with representatives of the unioji and the Department, who would assist in the conduct of the hostel, select the residents, advise as to the rates to be charged, and generally assist to make happy relations between the management and the men. Mr McLagan traced the development of the Reefton coalfields, and said that present production was three and a-halftimes as high as it was in 1937. This year it was estimated to be not less than .131,000 tons. “Soon the Government will be the owner of all the big mines in New Zealand,” said the Minister. ‘.‘The Government realises its responsibilities to the miner, and the need for providing amenities. We have spent more in a year than the private coal owners spent in the whole of their history. Apart from the 7-hour day, other efforts had been made to improve conditions in the mines. The Government and the Unions had agreed that there would be no unnecessary stoppages with the shorter hours, and he was pleased to say that, although critics of the Government said it was foolish and could not be done, experience so far has shown that output had not only been maintained, but actually increased. In the Buller district, output would have been even higher had it not been for the bar conditions preventing ships using the port of Westport. The Buller railway line had proved its worth in transporting coal during that time. In Reefton there had been a 31 per cent, increase in output since shorter hours commenced.

“You won’t work yourselves oqt of a job if you produce the coal, and have this Government <in power,’’ said Mr McLagan. “If you can do it in 5 hours or 6 hours, we will shorten the working day for you to that extent. (Applause). Go on doing it and better it if you can, and the whole of the people will profit by your work.” Importance of Coal The Government’s policy was to provide coal for essential purposes, but under that policy no miner would lose his job. The Government’s aim was to give the greatest encouragement to miners’ sons to carry on after their fathers, and for this purpose, scholarships would be provided. “This industry is no logger the Cinderella,” said Mr McLagan, “and there must be determination to see that the conditions are worthy of the industry. This hostel will show the Government’s determination to see that the miners has adequate accommodation.” People’s Appreciation The neople of Inangahua appreciated the new building which was a credit to the Government, to the architect and the men who constructed it, said Mr A. Topp, chairman of the Inangahua County Council, who presided and welcomed Mr McLagan. The building showed the Government’s appreciation of the potentialities of Reefton. The president of the Inangahua Miners’ Union, Mr R. Irving, said that with private ownership of the mines, such a building would not have been possible. He thanked Mr McLagan and the Government for providing the new accommodation. The chairman of the Coal Council, and Under-Secretary fnr Mmes, Mr C. H. Benney, said that the shortage of coal had directed public attention towards its necessity. There was manifest a changed outlook with the recognition by the community of its duty to the miner. The late Hon. Mark Fagan .had. done great things for the miners here and throughout the world, and it was to he regretted that he was not present that day. The Department had a happv association with the miners of the Reefton area, where there had

been so little industrial trouble. The men of the district showed that they had a sense of social responsibility. Mrs J. K. Patterson, daughter of the contractor, presented Mrs McLagan with a bouquet, and in reply Mrs McLagan thanked the donors, saying that on a fine day there was no better place in New Zealand than Reefton. The contractor, Mr R. Yellowlees, returned thanks to the speakers for their remarks, and presented Mr McLagan with a gold key with which to declare the building After Mr McLagan had done so, about sixty invited guests were entertained at afternoon tea, and the building was thrown open to the general public for inspection. Amongst the many visitors were the Hon. Miss M. Anderson, M.L.C., and Mrs K. O’Brien, of Greymouth. . .