THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1931. THE HIKURANGI MINES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21431, 4 September 1931, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1931. THE HIKURANGI MINES.

The Leader of the Socialist Party chose an unfortunate occasion early this week on which to reiterate his complaint concerning the importations of coal from Australia. The Minister of Labour took the ground that neither the Government nor private enterprise could rely upon the -continuity of supplies from the New Zealand mines. He attributed this to the frequency with which disputes and strikes disturb the mining industry, and showed that the number of days lost through these causes is more than considerable. Mr Smith refrained, however, ■ from giving point to his reply by drawing attention to the fact that there was actually a dislocation of the industry at the time at which he was speaking. The miners in the Hikurangi colliery area have provided an unfortunate proof- of the blunders to which reckless leadership may commit them. The trouble commenced when Wilsons Collieries, controlled by Wilsons Portland Cement Company, refused, as it seems to have been entitled to do under agreement with the miners, to pay the minimum wage to certain workers who had failed to provide an adequate tonnage, the company holding that the men could have earned the minimum wage had tliey chosen to do so. As the company stood firm on this point, the miners ceased work. The Cement Company thereupon placed an order for 500 tons of coal a week with the Hikurangi Coal Com-

pany, which owns a mine contiguous to that of Wilsons Collieries. The Hikurangi Company welcomed this order, partly because the acceptance of it would enable if to keep its men fully employed. The only considerable standing order which it previously had on its books was one of 800 tons a week for' the Railways Department. Its miners refused, however, to supply coal to Wilsons Cement Company and, as the Hikurangi Coal Company declined to accept their dictation as to whose orders it should and should not fulfil, the mine was thrown idle. Concerning the original dispute it is only necessary to observe that it was of a nature too trivial to warrant a strike. As to the occurrence at the Hikurangi Coal Company’s mine the attitude adopted by the miners was indefensible. The effect of it was that one source of supply of coal to the people in the Auckland district was cut off and the fact that the State is the largest consumer affected gives point to Mr Smith’s observations, in the House. The fact, moreover, that nearly 500. men 'deliberately deprived themselves of employment because of a fancied grievance at a time when prudent wage-earners in every walk of life should, in their own interests, be anxious to retain their positions throws a somewhat curious Tight upon their mentality. Apparently a few days’ reflection has led them to a realisation of their folly, as the latest report is that they are likely to return to work. In the meantime, however, a great deal of damage has been caused to the mines through flooding. It would seem that in Wilsons Collieries’ mine the water has risen to such an extent that the property is in danger of becoming permanently useless. The management appears definitely to have decided that it will not operate the mine again in any case, though it is prepared to assist co-opera-tive parties in working it. While, therefore, . the miners will have the dismal satisfaction of knowing that their ill-advised strike has caused inconvenience to industry, they are also confronted with the possibility that, in consequence of their action, many of their number will have lost their employment.