WAIKATO COAL MINES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 10 March 1943, Page 5

WAIKATO COAL MINES

STATE CONTROL DEFENDED MUCH INCREASED PRODUCTION (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, This Day. “It was a drastic step- to take control of over millions of pounds worth of property, but events have justified it,” remarked the Minister of Mines, Mr Webb, in the House of Representatives last night. He was referring to the Government’s decision during the Waikato miners’ strike to control these mines for the duration of the war. Mr Webb said he would likie to add, in fairness to the owners, that although they had fought the proposal every inch of the way .they had co-operated splendidly. Members of the Opposition, he noticed, were silent about this plan. They knew it had been operating efficiently on the co-operative system, resulting in bigger production per man. Last week these miners produced 1000 tons more than in the pre-strike days, notwithstanding that there were some stoppages due to shortage of trucks. Mr Holland: “How many stop-work meetings?” The Minister: “Only at one mine.” Mr Webb said he had obtained a promise that there would be no more of these meetings, and that all disputes would be referred to the union and management. He was positively convinced that our miners were working too hard, though coal was so urgently needed but he did not wish this statement to be an encouragement to ease off.

He referred with approval to the Coal Commission of 1919, a collection of conservative men which recommended the nationalisation of coal mines. According to evidence he had secured, there was only 15 to 20 years’ supply of bituminous coal in sight. He had teams of geologists making surveys and boring was in progress, but he felt that if the Commission’s recommendation had been acted upon at the time, the coal situation would not be so unsatisfactory as it was to-day. Mr Webb gave details of hours lost through industrial disputes, and comparative details relating to New South Wales, Canada, Great Britain and America to prove that New Zealand’s record was better than that of the