COAL SHORTAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 256, 27 September 1945, Page 3

COAL SHORTAGE

HOUSE DEBATES CAUSE. STRAIN ON RAILWAYMEN. (Press Assn) WELLINGTON, Sept. 20 A brisk discussion of the coal shortage and of the merits of open-cast mining developed in the House of Representatives- this afternoon during consideration of Ministerial answers to questions. The Acting-Minister of Minos (Sir O’Brien), in reply to a question by Mr M. H. Oram, said that since production from open-cast mining had commenced in October, 1943, a total of 341,653 tons of coal had been produced by this method to July 31 last. Based on the production figures for the seven months of 3945, one ton of coal had been produced by the opencast method for every eight tons mined underground. Open-casting of coal had made a worthwhile contribution to coal production and would do so increasingly. Mr M. H. Oram (Nat., Manawatu) said the Minister had entirely failed to answer the question of what steps the Government proposed to take to overcome the coal shortage, with particular reference to tlie position and prospects of open-cast mining. Mr F. W. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga) said there should be a statement which would satisfy both the House and the country on the coal position, particularly on the unfulfilled predictions of the relief that would be given by opencast mining. Mr O’Brien said open-cast mining had produced 400,000 tons of coal. It was not the best coal in the world and was not entirely satisfactory for the railways, but where would New Zealand industries be but for coal won by the open-cast method? The whole problem had been one of manpower. Mr Doidge said it was a pity the Minister of Mines (Mr Webb) was not in New Zealand. What was the meaning of the recent statement in Auckland by the General Manager of Railways? The railways had used 93,000 more tons of coal, but had run 900,000 fewer miles. The General Manager’s statement had not been properly answered. Mr G. H. Mackley (Nat., Masterton and a former General Manager of Railways) said 18,470 working days had been lost by the miners last year, and it was little wonder that the railways and tlie people of New Zealand found themselves in the position now existing. Mr O’Brien said there were 5000 miners and the figures quoted by Mr Mackley represented little more than three days per man per year. MINERS DEFENDED.

The Minister of Railways (Mr Semple) said the absence of Australian coal and the diminishing quantity of bituminous coal available in New Zealand had contributed to the present situation. The Dominion’s coalfields had been butchered in the past by private enterprise. Only 35 per cent, of the bituminous coal on the West Coast was extracted; the rest was left underground because the pillars were extracted prematurely; the managers bad to produce dividends or get the “sack.” During the war wa had been forced to use coal we would not formerly have touched. It was untrue that the bulk of open-cast coal was not up to standard, but he confessed it had been a heavy task for the railway firemen. He agreed with the General Manager that the firemen had been .very patient, but he resented the suggestion that the whole trouble was due to the miners. Ho was not defending men like those m the South. Island who had said recently, “No cigarettes—no coall’VTliat was stupid and shameful. He would say nasty things about men who deserved them, but to say the whole problem was due to the miners was wrong. Mr E. B. Corbett (Nat., Egmont) said he had been assured that the fires on the engines had to be cleaned out after a 20-mile run. The engine crews were working under great physical strain and the position in Taranaki, where the railwaymen had threatened not to run trains on open-cast coal after October 21, was serious. Mr W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford) said he had expected the Minister of Railways to defend his General Manager, who was attacked by Mr O’Brien. Mr Poison said the General Manager had been at his wits’ ends over coal •\n([ in desperation had made the facts public. It was unfair to allow the General Manager to be attacked and most improper that the General Man-an-er had not been defended by Ins own Minister when the latter knew it was impossible for any human being to maintain the service under the conditions obtaining. Mr Semple: I frankly admitted the difficultv was there. Mr Poison: And five minutes earlier we had the Acting-Minister. of Mines declaring the General Manager was wrong. „ . , ~ , Mr Poison said Mr O'Brien s attack on the General Manager had been unworthy of a Minister of the Crown. Mr O’Brien said lie bad made no attack on the General Manager ot Railways. The latter had alleged that open-cast coal was 40 per cent, water, but analysis showed it was no such thing. . . . Mr F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino) said it bad never been suggested that open-cast mining would solve New Zealand’s coal problems. Opposition voices: Oh! Yes, it was. Mr Langstone: No reasonable person would have interpreted it in that way. MANPOWER NEEDED.

The member for AVaimarino said he had great sympathy for the railwaymen who had to use this coal. It was not nearly as good as our hard coal. AVe must be thankful that we were getting such a good railway service as we were in view of the poor fuel the men had to use. It spoke volumes for the engine-drivers and firemen, wlio often had to stop at intervals of 50 or even of 20 miles to clean out the fireboxes. It was a trying job and involved the handling of a greater tonnage of coal. The Minister of Supply (Mr Sullivan) said there were two difficulties in the coal situation—the manpower shortage and the impossibility of getting coal from abroad. Mr Oram' kept asking what the Government was going to do about it. The only thing to do was to get manpower. Men were still ill the Armed Forces and everything possible was being done to bring them home from overseas, because on every ground we wanted them back as rapidly as possible. AVhen coalminers from the Armed Forces could he returned to the rhines it would make a big difference. Mr Sullivan said it was impossible to import coal today from Australia, whereas we used to import an average of 100,000 tons annually. All other Allied countries were faced with the same difficulties as ourselves in regard to coal, and the shortage could be overcome only by the return of miners from the Armed Forces.