COAL SUPPLIES '

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 13 June 1939, Page 8

COAL SUPPLIES '

MAINTENANCE OF ADEQUATE STOCKS IMPORTANCE STRESSED BY MINISTER DISASTROUS EFFECT OF STOPPAGES *1 Hire.l Press Aisot-janon AUCKLAND, 12th June. The importance of an adequate coal supply being maintained in New Zealand was emphasied by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in two addresses to groups of miners in Iluntly on Sunday. Mr Webb returned to Auckland to-day. “I told the miners that at the moment the mines are very considerably behind with their orders, and that any stopages, no matter who might be responsible, would have a disastrous effect on industry in general,” the Minister said. “I explained that I had given an undertaking to the coalmine owners and to the Mine Workers’ Fed-

eration 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 be responsible for letting the Government down, insofar as I pledged the industry’s word that ample supplies would be 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 import from overseas represents a distinct shrinkage in our sterling funds. EFFECT ON STERLING FUNDS “I 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 the people required and that were 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. I am taking this matter up with the Coal Owners’ Association to ascertain the actual position.”