SUPPLIES OF COAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 164, 13 June 1939, Page 8

SUPPLIES OF COAL.

KKED FOR MAINTENANCE. MINISTER’S TALK TO MINORS. Fur Fress Association. AUCKLAND, Juno 12. The importance o! an adequate coal supply being maintained in New Zea laud was emphasised by the .Minister of Alines (lion. F. C. Webb), in two addresses to groups o! miners in iluntl.v on Sunday. Mr Webb returned to Auckland to-day. “1 told the miners that at the moment the mines are very considerably behind with their orders,'and that any stoppages, no matter who might be responsible, would have a. disastrous effect on industry in general,” the .Minister said. “1 explained that I had given an undertaking to the coalmine owners and to the Aline Workers’ Federation that I would not grant any extra coal leases for the opening of new mines so long as they could supply the demand from the existing mines. 'Thus it behoves them to make good their promises and to see that supplies of coal are kept up. “1 said that if they failed me in this my action would ho responsible for letting the Government down, in so far as 1 pledged the industry’s word that ample supplies would ho made available. 'This policy has resulted in reasonably regular work during the year at the mines, making it better' for everybody concerned, but to ensure that the supply is maintained it is necessary to avoid any pin-pricking on the part of managers or stop-work tactics on the part of the men. Every extra ton of coal we are obliged to iniport from overseas represents a distinct shrinkage in our sterling funds. “1 pointed out that our sterling funds were being conserved to provide raw material, including plant for the development of secondary industries, in order that these might supply goods that people required and that wore previously imported. 'Thus any extra coal imported deprived the country of this extra material. “ The miners pointed out to me that the lack of housing accommodation militated against the employment of further miners to produce more coal. They were most emphatic that, in some of the mines the companies were not supplying sufficient trucks to keep the miners going when at work. 1 am taking this matter up with the Coalmine Owners’ Association to ascertain the actual position.”