The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1920. FUTURE GOAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10715, 8 October 1920, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1920. FUTURE GOAL

The coal industry of New Zealand is, in the eyes of the consumers of coal, in a state of hand-to-mouth, and verging on disaster. Aviators would- call it "decidedly bumpy," with little prospect of getting into settled air. While the general public is looking, on with a feeling of something like despair, not unmixed with 'resentment,, the City Council of Auckland has adopted, and is supporting, suggestions formulated by a special committee for the future stabilising of the industry. The-state-ment in that report of the leading facts of the industry is not now, but it is true beyond the possibility of contradiction. In summary, the report means that we haye within easy reach far more coal than we want, and that the conditions 1 of its collection-prevent us from getting it, and that, instead of calmly waiting, in the midst. of plenty for starvation to overwhelm lis, we must amend the obstructive conditions. This statement of the position is academic, and, at the -, same • time, so practical a"s- to.force the? undertaking of a vigorous policy. The hea"ds of such a policy have been formulated in the report; One of . the, principal recommendations is the clause- m the report which advises increase of the coal supplied; suggesting, at the same time, diminution of trie demand—-by speeding up the-electric water supply—but this fact does not indicate a toohelpful spirit: Nevertheless, the report deserves the- careful ""consideration of the Government. and of the public. To add to the number of coalmines and to get more miners; to eliminate waste in distribution; to diminish importation, for-which there Is>riot sufficient shipping— are - suggestions with which we are ■ alt familiar. A Government of strong determination and clear perception might have taken this course long ago; and might have taken it in the guiding light provided by last year's Commission, which made a very exhaustive report on the whole coal industry of the Dominion. The vigorous advice of the present reporting authority to provide the new men and the new mines forthwith is a little late. Under the circumstances of the industry it might—but for one thing—be addressed to the keas of Mount Cook, just as well as to tho Government, which presents the > epectaole of men struggling with the- impossible. That ono thing is the suggestion made in tho report to improve the control over the industry. Appoint a Coal Board, the- report seems to say, and all things will como into line. Afi to that, it is quite clear that, without thoroughness of control by independent authority, it would be useless to import coal-minors to supplement the labour already insufficient for the existing mines; to open new mines, with addition to tho stoppages, the go-slow, tho turmoils of industrial. dispute; to improve handling facilities, which would stand idle half their time. It would be equally useless to go beyond this report and'nationalise the mines; and as for buying a fleet of. Government colliers, of what nee would that be, except to fill tho coal harboura with empty ship*), which might just as "well bo hailed to tho wharves for all the help they bring to a bad situation? Control, strong and far-reach-ing, is tho only thing that can make all those things % useful enough. Tho report has, therefore, done well to suggest better control. The suggestion is. to. set up a Central Coal Board, with local boards to see to all tho; working details, the i housing problem; tho opening up of 1 new mine 3, the working of awards and agreements, tho settlement of tho per-petually-recurring disputes, and the maintenance of tho best modern standards.. The present system, is almost chaotic; at all events, so full of confusion that it is most difficult to get tho crucial facte in tho perpetual disputes, the inquirer being met at every: turn by. unexpected assertions from all sides. For example; in the Pukcmird case, tho parties are disputing yet as to -whether: it.is a strike or a lock-out; a«d though- wrangling about the statue of the engino-driyoro is interminable; tho main points of tho dispute regarding them are never in sight at once, hut keep popping' out, one here, another there, from the obscuring clouds' of dispute. The present system, w 6 repeat, is chaotic; the proposed system* would bo authoritatively orderly. Nd one denies that many improvements aro needed, but ho one can point to any authority whose business it is to see that they aro done. Authoritative order, working with local knowledge) and promptly, would substitute' smooth working for chaos; Tho coal-mining in-:

dustry would then be worked by methodic industry, not by recriminatory verbosity. Then tho mines, which produco .now mostly unsatisfactory words, would produce enough coal.. Tho Government would do well to give serious attention to this suggestion for thorough control. .. .