MINE TROUBLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25036, 28 October 1944, Page 6

MINE TROUBLE

STOP-WOBK_ THEEAT TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Friday Unless satisfactory transport is arranged, the Kamo miners will cease work at the mines as from Monday. Only safety men will be left. This decision was made at a meeting, when this long-standing question of transport of the miners who live at Hikurangi was fully discussed. Notification had been received from the bus company operating the service from Hikurangi to Kamo that as from Monday the fares for miners would be raised to 24s for a six-day week. At present, the men are paying 7s 6d for a five-day week. The majority of the miners live at Hikurangi. A representative of the Mines Department will be in Whangarei tomorrow to go fully into the position. The transport of miners from Hikurangi to Kamo has created a problem for some time, especially transport 011 Saturdays. For a short period a service was run by the bus company 011 Saturdays and this was subsidised, but with the withdrawal of the subsidy by the Mines Department the service was discontinued. The miners for a time used private cars for transport on Saturday, but with their inability to secure tyre replacements, this also was discontinued over six months ago, since when the mine has been idle on Saturdays and many thousands of tons of coal production lost. When the Minister of Mines, Mr Webb, was at Kamo in June he promised that he would arrange for Saturday transport within a week, but so far no word has been received from him. The output of the Kamo coal mine is about 300 tons daily, and 114 men are affected. EXPORT MEAT PRICES INCREASES APPRECIATED LONG-DELAYED BENEFIT (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Friday "So far as they go, tho increases in meat prices will be greatly appreciated, as in comparison with other sections of the community the producers of fat stock for export have during the past four years of increasing costs received a very raw deal," said Mr A. C. Cameron, chairman of the South Island Fat Stock Committee, commenting on the new meat schedules. In September, 1943, Mr Cameron said, the South Island Fat Stock Committee submitted to the Stabilisation Commission a comprehensive and unanswerable case for an increase. That had been followed up by very strong representations from the Meat Board and the New Zealand Farmers' Union, and it was particularly gratifying that the increase in prices had resulted from these combined efforts. The evidence submitted showed that, in spite of heavilyincreased costs, there had been on increase in tho export price for ewes and ox beef during the war period, and in the case of wethers and lambs there had been an increase of approximately. 3 per cent only. On the other hand, dairy produce and many other primary products had received several substantial increases. "It is an irrefutable fact,' Mr Cameron added, "that the low export prices ruling for beef in New Zealand have had a very detrimental effect on production, and there has been a steady decline, showing clearly that the fattening of cattle does not pay so well as other types of farming." LOOAL MARKET RATES NO UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday "The Government's decision regarding meat supplies for the local market does not constitute a special tax on meat producers for the benefit of conjsumers," the Prime Minister, Mr 1 Fraser, stated this afternoon, when com- | menting 011 the resolution passed by i the Dominion executive of the Farmers' [ Union. j "What the Government's decision ; means is that there will be no unfair ; discrimination in the prices to be paid to the producer of meat for the local l market and the producer for export. "The alternative would have been to . give the producer the existing price for : the meat he sold for local consumption and the increased price for meat he exported. Such a two-price system , would have brought about unequal re- , wards and injustice among meat producers and in anx case would probably . have been unworkable. The decision of tho Government simply means that the meat industry's own funds are used to obviate such inequities between producers. > "As 1 said when I announced the Government's decision on Wednesday, it would not have been fair or reasonable that the Government's success in securing an increased price for m£at producers should result in the imposition of a heavy additional burden on the community as a whole. It would have been paradoxical if the benefit received for ono section of the community resulted in imposing unwarrantably on the people of New Zealand an increase in their cost of living or the indirect cost of a State subsidy running into £400.000, "Two things I must emphasise, therefore," said Mr Fraser, "are that the Government's decision regarding local meat gives greater justice to meat producers than the alternative course would have given, and that in the light of the stabilisation policy it is unquestionably right." FLYING BOMB VICTIM RANGITANE'S HEAD STEWARD Advice has been received of the death in England of Mr Henry George Anker, who was head steward of the Rangitane when it was sunk by a raider near New Zealand late in 1940. Mr Anker and his wife were killed during a flying bomb raid when their home at Wimbledon was demolished by a direct hit. Employed for many years by the New Zealand Shipping Co., Mr Anker was taken prisoner, after the sinking of the Rangitane, together with about 45 other members of the crew and about 42 passengers. He was a prisoner in Germany for three and a-half years and was repatriated only a short time beforo his death several months ago. He was employed by a British firm after his repatriation and also worked for the Ministry of Supply. Mr Anker, who was aged 69. served in the Merchant Navy in the last war and was at Gnllipoli. POSTMASTER HURT A fractured thigh was suffered by Mr Walter Guildv, aged 54, married, postmaster at Matamata, when he slipped and fell outside the Ferry Building, Quay Street, last evening. Mr Gundy, who is spending a holiday in Auckland, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. His condition is not serious. CYCLIST INJURED When the bicycle he was riding was involved in a collision with an Army vehicle at the intersection of Green Lane and Wheturangi Roads yesterday morning, a tram motorman, Mr John Morrison, aged 35, married, of 12 Rotomahana Terrace. Remucra, suffered fractures of the ribs and shoulder blade and abrasions. He was admitted to tho Green Lane Hospital. DOG CAUSES ACCIDENT When bis bicycle struck a dog as he was riding along King Edward Parade, Devonport, yesterday afternoon, Mr John Teirney, nsred 39, married, 11 cabinetmaker, of 19 Clarence Street, Devonport, suffered a fracture of the thigh and other injuries. He was taken ; to the Auckland Hospital. His condition last night was fairly serious.