THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1945. COAL PROBLEM

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 54, Issue 32627, 28 September 1945, Page 4

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1945. COAL PROBLEM

After suffering in silence the general manager of railways, Mr J. Sawers, has told the public something of the difficulty under which the system has been labouring for lack of coal and because of the poor quality of much of the ..coal that is available. The Minister of Mines, the Hon. J. O’Brien, promptly responded with a defence of the coal industry, but he failed to refute Mr Sawers’ statement that in the last financial year 93,000 tons more coal was used to run 900,000 fewer engine miles. Nor did he satisfactorily explain why the railways have a reserve of only four days’ coal, or why household and industries contoinue always on the brink of a coal famine.

Mr O’Brien did not explain why, at the moment he was issuing his reply, at least one Waikato mine was idle because the men had held a stop-work meeting in the morning. These stoppages occur with such monotonous frequency that the miners need not be surprised if the public concludes there is a conspiracy to keep down the production of coal. Why is it that in this one industry stopwork meetings which disrupt work for a whole day are tolerated ? What would the Government, and the public have to say if similar tactics were adopted by other sections of the community ? The war has ended. Industry which depends largely on coal is facing the necessity of providing employment for thousands of men returning from the battlefronts. Efficiency in administration demands that coal should be won in increased quantities. It is not enough_ to say that the mines of New Zealand are producing more coal than before. The need is greater. Trains are still running on reduced schedules and industry does not know •from one day to the next whether it will receive a sufficient supply of coal. If there is justification for the frequent stoppages, surely it should be given to the long-suffering public.