No Improvement In State-Controlled Mine

Northern Advocate, 21 August 1943, Page 4

No Improvement In State-Controlled Mine

(Specialj HAMILTON, This Day. "The only event of outstanding interest in the operation of the colliery during the past year was the lamentable and unfortunate strike that occurred in the Waikato coalfield last September, when the loss of output from your own mines was at least 14,000 tons,” said tile chairman of directors of Glen Alton Collieries, Ltd. (Mr. A. Hayward), in presenting his annual report to the shareholders of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd. Arising out of the strike, 3\lr. Hayward continued, a system of State control was inaugurated. A control board was set uo. with tlic Minister as chairman, and with a State superintendent over all the Waikato coalfield. T!iis board met blit so far had not unduly interfered with the company’s management of its mines, neither could cne say that it had been the means cf increasing the output in any way. The output per man employed had noi improved since its inauguration. Back Saturday work was again resorted to in an endeavour to get the extra coal so urgently needed, particularly for the domestic trade, Mr. Hayward said, but with very disappointing results, notwithstanding that the Government, at the expense of the War Expenses Account, offered the miners, in respect of the sixhour shift they were asked to work, credit at the rate, generaly speaking, of a shift and a-half. In actual fact, while day wage men turned up reasonably well, out of 133 miners cn the company’s roll, only 38 had reported for such back work, the speaker continued. Cf these, 25 had lost on the average an ordinary shift during the previous" fortnight, which meant that their Saturday’s work was really to bring their time to" roughly an ordinary fortnight's work—hence it might be said that tlie remaining 13 men were the only ones cf the 138 miners who genuinely offered to do extra work. No further comment should be necessary.