SOME CAUSES OF SHORTAGE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 172, 7 July 1919, Page 2

SOME CAUSES OF SHORTAGE.

■•«•■> rnw ktiitop ■ Sir, —There seems to be a lot of different opinions flying around, as to who is to blame, for the coal shortage. One man tells me it is the miners’ “go slow,” that has Caused it. Then another fellow points <»ut the report of the Coal Commission to the effect, that the N.Z. miners, have hewed more c0..l per miner than any other body ct miners in the world. “So that theory is exploded.” Another man volunteer.; the information that there was plenty of miners until the war ended and then they left to seek other employment. Then another fellow’ points out that the miner's earn more money than any other workers in New Zealand. If this is so the question is why did they leave ' such a good billet to take on poorer pay? Slid another comes along with the explanation, that the Government “has done this to get politi-

cal support, at the forthcoming elec- J lions.” Y’et one of the pillars or ' tenseii-atism is heard condemning the Government for allowing such a thing | to happen. Furthermore it is not a! fikely thing that the Government is; going to willingly lose thousands <.t ’ pounds, in revenue, so that theory is also exploded. Well, my theory is! this: The whole country has been ’ going slow on production. The ms-1 jority of the people are working very ; hard, but their energies are mis-; directed. Look at the vast numbers of) agents we have running around tiiej country trying to sail anything, an<Ui everything from* farms to photo-frames. 1 All these require feeding and clothing, 1 to say nothing of taxi-cars and railway ■ trains to carry them about. And y (,t { not one of them produces a single j tiling. Then look at the host of law-; yers, preachers, prohibition lecturers, J politicians, agitators of various brand.-, | including Messrs. Field and Semple, ! M’s.l’., etc. Not one of these add a! ton of coal or a sack of grain to th 1 1 nation’s warehouse. To put. it :nildl> . j it we hud less drones and more workers, 1

there would lie plenty tor all. A 101 in our farmers put in as mucn time, and cenaiiih more brain work, trying to sell their farm, than trying to farm it. A great many- of our business men spend a good deal of their time at th” club and the racecourse, to say nothing of standing around condemning tims” awful miners, and workers generally. >_ great many or our wot-Kingmeti spend too much of their time discussing the probable winner of the coming jar-es. or having a day off at the races, trying to pick winners, or gossiping over hotel Lars. I know it is a hard thing to stop a drift such as tnis, and j have no sovereign remedy to submit, but ai.eroaro a tew suggestions 1 tniglit ofier as follows:- —Let the employing class cease seeing the Bolsiieviki bogey in every nio.o made by the workers to better their social conditions. Let the workers put a little more energy into their work, and during working hours give up the discussion of racing and oilier profitless .subjects. Let the farmer work his farm, and not have it continually on the market. And finally let all the useful members ot society endeavour to attend to their own business, and eliminate as far apossible the drones.— I aril, etc., “WORKER.”