Minister Expects Position To Ease

Northern Advocate, 3 April 1947, Page 5

Minister Expects Position To Ease

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The resumption of production would bring about an immediate easing of the problem of supplies of coal for industries and for the railways, said the Minister of Mines (Mr McLagan) last night, when anpouncing the settlement of the strike at the Waikato coal mines. The Minister returned to Wellington by air yesterday' afternoon from Rukuhia. The Minister said he had arranged meetings between the district executive of the Northern Miners' Union and all the managers of the Waikato district mines. The Mining Controller (Mr C. 11. Benney) and the superintendent of the Waikato collieries (Mr P. Outhwaite) also were present. There had been a long discussion on the wet-time dispute and eventually a proposal for a settlement had been made by the district colliery managers. This proposal was reduced to writing and submitted to a mass meeting of the Huntly miners yesterday afternoon The proposal was accepted by a substantial majority'. In the absence of the Minister of Railways (Mr Semple) in Palmerston North, the General Manager of Railways (Mr J. Sawers) was asked to comment on the effect of the return to work of the Huntly miners on future rail services. Mr Sawers said that as the miners were not yet back at work he was not prepared to forecast. The stocks of coal held by the railways were so precarious that he would not guess about the future. Crew Shortages (Special) This Day. Shortages in crews may hold three West Coast colliers at Auckland over the holidays. The Omana, ready to leave for Greymouth. has been delayed since Tuesday by a shortage of two men, and the Kartigi and Kaimiro, which were expected to leave yesterday for Westport, required crew members. Dobson Men Work (Special) GREYMOUTH, This Day. The Dobson State miners who did not Work yesterday because qne of their numbers had been charged with the cost of replacement of a drill bit, for the loss of which he was held responsible, resumed work today following a settlement of the dispute.