MINERS TO RESUME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17595, 7 October 1920, Page 6

MINERS TO RESUME.

THE PUpiMIRO DISPUTE.

v WORK PROBABLE DAY.:

OWNERS' ASSOCIATION- ACTS.

DISPUTES COMMITTEE TO MEET.

The Pukemiro miners' dispute is.likely to end to-day. The secretary of the Coalmine Owners' Association yesterday telegraphed to the Pukemiro Coal Company to the effect that the association has arranged with the Miners' Federation that if work is resumed by the miners to-day, the Disputes Committee will meet this afternoon to consider the matter in dispute. The company accordingly was asked to make arrangements for the resumption of work at the mine.

A representative of the company stated yesterday that it was doubtful if matters would be in readiness for the commence-

ment of work to-day. During the strike a considerable number of repairs had been carried out at the mine, and some had not yet been completed. In addition, it was questionable whether there would be a sufficient number of enginedrivers available. The company therefore might have some difficulty in starting work on such a short notice.

CITY COAL SUPPLIES.

TAUPIRI MINE'S WORKING.

SHORTAGE STILL ACUTE.

The miners at the Huntly and Rotowaro mines worked full time yesterday, a fair average output of coal being made. - Supplies of Waikato coal are coming into the city daily, and are being absorbed as quickly as they come to hand. There is an acute "shortage of coal in the city, and it is considered that it will take weeks of steady work by the miners before anything like normal conditions will prevail, therefore there is little prospect of any of the principal industries being able to accumulate reserves for some time to come.

The city tramways and electric power departments are receiving a fair proportion of the deliveries of coal from Huntly and Rotowaro, but there are many industries which have to receive a share of the output from these mines, which has averaged approximately 800 tons since operations were resumed. Thus the tonnage allotted to each individual business must of necessity bo small.

SITUATION REVIEWED.

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK.

POSITION AT STATE MINES. [BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL KEPOBTEE-] WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

The coal situation generally is made easier by the announcement that the Pukemiro miners will resume work tomorrow morning if the mine is v ready, pending the consideration of their dispute by the National Disputes Committee. The shortage of coal in the Northern districts is reported to be acute, however,' and even if all the- mines are worked without interruption, some time must elapse before/ the special difficulties arising from the recent stoppages are overcome. Shipments; of coal from Australia are .proceeding at a I fairly satisfactory pace. The chief difficulty at present seems to be the loading of the available ships. The Australian waterside workers are confining work to certain hours of the day, and ships are unable to get their cargoes as fast as the coal is available. This trouble is accentuated, as far as New Zealand is concerned, by the keen demand for coal within the Commonwealth.

The State coalminers, who are back at work, are reported. have averaged a production of seven tons of coal per man on Tuesday. The quantity is interesting, as illustrating the advantage that the community would derive if the miners decided to stay at work without stoppages, and to produce up to their capacity. The coal production of New Zealand in the • year 1918, averaged 703 tons for each man em-' ployed underground, or between 2£ and 3 tons per man per working day. An average production of seven tons per man per working day would go far toward solving the coal problem. Probably it would not be possible for the miners to maintain such a rate of production, but nobody denies that owing to the frequent stoppages and the go-slow policy the production has been far below the capacity of the miners during the last year or j two.