PRICE OF COAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 7 December 1938, Page 9

PRICE OF COAL

TO BE INCREASED AUCKLAND. Gth December, j A decision to increase the wholesale { price of coal owing to higher costs of ; production and the increase in railway freights has been made by the Waikato Coal Mine Owners’ Association as from 11th December. The present wholesale I rates at Auckland are: Household, 32s j per ton; kitchen, 265; slack. 15s 6d. J The principal points discussed at | the recent meeting of the association related to freights and higher wages. The amount of the increase in price will be decided at a meeting a few days hence. Commenting to-day on the statement ■ by the Hon. P. C. Webb at Westport 1 recently that a conference of coal mine owners would be called to study wages | and means of increasing the produei tion of coal to maintain the standard of j living and also bring about more eco- ; nomic production, Mr H. Luke, chair- ! man of the Wilton Collieries, said that ; mine owners were quite prepared to co-operate with the Minister and miners. He added, however, that in the Waikato they could not increase production by the addition of more machines, any increase being dependent upon man-power. Recently a number of miners had been leaving the mines for outside employment. At present ample men were available for the work offering.