A CRIPPLED INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18542, 1 May 1922, Page 5

A CRIPPLED INDUSTRY

WEST AUSTRALIAN MINES

SERIOUS POSITION,

Frets Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

PERTH, April 29. Mr Mitchell, replying to a deputation of Western Australian mining companies’ representatives, who sought a conference with the miners with a view to a readjustment of wages and an amendment of the Arbitration Act enabling the Court’s decision to be reviewed within a year, said that when the-mines were paying increasing dividends the miners loyally accepted the Arbitration awards as binding for a full year. Analogously the mining companies should accept them similarly now when dividends were not increasing pid wages were falling. He did not believe the miners would present unfair demands if they were calculated to cripple the industry upon which their existence depended. The railway freights were as low as possible, notwithstanding the continuously shrinking railway revenue. The Government was anxious to develop the mining interests but was not prepared to grant concessions at the cost of the rest" of the community. Mr Newton Moore, in introducing the deputation, had pointed out that the Western Australian mines formerly produced £8,000,000 per annum and this has now dwindled to £2,000,000, while the cost of production hod increased to an alarming extent. The cost of material had increased 50 per cent, and labour oyer 100 per cent, compared with 1914. With the exception of three large mines, which had very good reasons for continuing, the whole of the gold mines of the State had closed down, and unless some change were made in the near future this disastrous state of affairs must continue.