MINE CEASES WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24583, 14 May 1943, Page 2

MINE CEASES WORK

SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS difficulty at huntly Owing to a shortage of railway waggons, work at the Rotowaro coal mine, Huntly, ceased at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. No empty trucks were sent to the Glen Afton mine after 2 o'clock, but coal continued to be carted from the Mac Donald mine until shortly before the day's work finished at about 3.30. Other mines in the district, although affected, carried on. After the supply of waggons had been exhausted, the men were engaged in stacking the coal ready for removal The secretary of Taupiri Coal Mines, Limited, Mr. J. L. Souter, said that the output from the Rotowaro mine would be reduced by 300 or 400 tons dnily. "Every ton of coal counts, - he added, "and, as railway stocks must be maintained, householders will be among those principally affected by any loss of output." The company, Mr. bouter explained, had decided to concentrate its quota of waggons on the Alison mine, and cease work early at RotoWaro. The district railway traffic manager at Auckland, Mr. G. S. Reid, said that owing to heavy demands on the preceding day there were slightly fewer waggons available for mines on the Glen Afton branch. Instead of the average of about 340 waggons, there were 310. It was expected that the shortage, which was the first to occur for some time, would be very temporary, and that a return to the normal position would be possible tomorrow.