IDLE COAL MINES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24141, 6 December 1941, Page 10

IDLE COAL MINES

MORE TIME LOST 1 variety of causes SIX HUNDRED MEN INVOLVED (0.C.) GREYMOUTH, Friday Over 600 men lost a day's work today when, for various reasons, five Grey district coal mines were idle. ■ The Liverpool State mine at Rewanui did not work because the bins were full. j Wallsend mine employees returned home after a stop-work meeting so that they could attend the funeral, of a fellow-employee, Leonard McAiiley, trucker, who was drowned in the Grey River on Wednesday. , Some Dobson miners, who have adopted a go-slow policy for the past month, had the issue of lamps refused to them, this morning and the result was that all the men returned home in sympathy. • The Paparoa mine was idle because of a complaint by. a pair of miners regarding the condition of a working place, the men • returning home after discussing the dispute. The Blackball State mine was idle because of a recurring difficulty in the disposal of slack coal which causes an accumulation in the bins. Removal from Industry The Dobson miners listened to an address by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, last evening, in the course of which he stated that immediate steps would be taken for the removal from the industry for the duration of the war of the men responsible for 'ihe go-slow tactics. Whether it was in fulfilment of that statement or not is not definitely known, but when the Dobson men assembled at the mine this morning it was found that the lamps of a certain number in a section of the mine had been stopped. The men held a stop-work meeting and ultimately agreed to refer the matter to the Minister. Mr. Webb went to Dobson by car and received a deputation from the union. Later he joined a special railcar at Dobson and left with the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, for Christchurch. Hopes of a Settlement When asked to comment on the situation, Mr. W. Purdy, president of the Grey Valley Miners' Union, stated that an old question was in dispute and that he did not wish to make a statement. . The miners held a meeting this afternoon to discuss their interview with Mr. Webb and other matters. The mine management stated that a settlement was in sight and that the mine would probably work on Monday.