REDUCED OUTPUT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10521, 24 February 1920, Page 5

REDUCED OUTPUT

GOAL COMPANY'S POSITION ESTIMATED LOSS OF 20,000 TONS.

Some interesting remarks were made by the chairman of directors (Mr W. Recce) to shareholders of the West-port-Stockton Coal Company at tho annual meeting recently hold at Christ' church.

In tho course of his remarks, the chairman summarised th,s report and balpncc-shect in tho following Tho amount to fee dealt with at this meeting is £17,799, which the directors recommend -bo allocated a* fol[o„.b. —The payment of £3565, being the dividend of: 8 per cent, on prefercueo shares; £O-574, being 5 per cent, dividend on ordinary shares; the transfer of £-5500 to depreciation, and tho balance of £IB6O to bo carried forward. There have been no other reasons than the reduced output. »Hy there should not have been a better return for the year; this- was ou'ing to a shortage of men for tho first eight months of tho year, and the pursuance by tho miners of the goblow policy 'since the beginning of ft:ptember. To the latter policy may be' attributed a loss of output of at least 20,000 tons. The housing question at tho mines has been much discussed. A miner at Stockton cap, it he wishes, have built for him a'bouse from a, design selected by himself, nrul purchase it on very easy terms, making his rent muck less than that of the town dweller. So far we havo only hac? a few applications. "We arc, however, building a further unrager Df hous- ■<, in tho event of their being npplieti lev. We have <»lst> »cnily completed a comfortable Iboardinghouse fjr single men, with anothei building having a large dining-room for all those who wish to use it. LABOUR. DIFFICULTIES.

You will perhaps expect me to refer to the difficulty being experienced m coming to a solution of. the labour question, but as tho matter is still under discussion I do not wish to introduce anything here of a controversial nature. The mine-owners. 1 feel sure, would welcome a settlement; i they feelj however, that tbsy are to a largo extent trustees for the general public, and therefore find it difficult to agree to some of the claims which have been made. Many ' people who have read descriptions of the life unci conditions of the miner years ago in Great Britain assume that the New Zealand "miner is a poor, downtrodden fellow. He is nothing of tho kind, and no doubt often smiles when he reads such nonsense. MINERS" FROM WALES. TO BE EMPLOYED" AT STOCKTON MINE. Recently a number of Welsh coalminers arrived at Wellington, and alter a brief stay in the capital city, proceeded to the West Coast. It was stated at the time that they had come out to the Dominion under special engagement to one of the "West Coast mines. * At the annual meeting of the West-port-Stockton Coal Company, held at Christchureh last week, th e chairman of directors (Mr William Reece) made the following reference to the matter: —"You will the pleased to team that there arrived in Wellington from the Mother' .Country twenty-eight Welsh coal-minerß with their wives and children, numbering sixtv in all. The secretary and the Westport manager met them and are arranging for their passages to their journey's end, viz., the Stockton Company's mine. In tfrs connection, I wish to say that the company is much indebted to Mr Jamreson. a member of the board, who, wffilst on a visit to England, agreed to see what arrangement* conl•■> bo made to secure miners in,the Old Country. After some considerable trouble he was fortunate in meeting Mr Morgan, who has had considerable experience , in coal-mining in Wales, who undertook to make a selection of suitable miners for us. 1« i:i understood that nine miners are on their way to New Zealand.''