AUSTRALIAN COAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3399, 7 May 1919, Page 16

AUSTRALIAN COAL.

COMMONWEALTH COAL COMMANDEERED. SHORTAGE IN NEW ZEALAND. (By Cable.) MELBOURNE, May 1. Mr Watt (Acting Prime Minister) announces that the Federal Government has decided to commandeer all the coal in the commonwealth. This decision has been arrived at owing to the action of the New South Wales Government, and to the fact that a coal strike at the present time would paralyse industry in all the States except New South Wales. This action will ensure the miners, obtaining increased rates of pay. The regulation commandeering coal is being issued to-day. Coal regulations have been issued empowering the Prime Minister to acquire all coal, appoint selling and distributing agents, fix rates of wages and conditions of employment, determine compensation. to owners, fix the selling price, and cancel or suspend contracts for supply. May 2. Mr Watt, Acting Prime Minister, has announced that for the present the coal controlling regulations "will be confined to New South Wales.

May 5. It is officially explained that the existing coal contracts are not cancelled under the new regulations; they are merely suspended in order not to hamper the Government's administrative work.

SYDNEY, April 30. The State Labour Party has included in its policy the nationalisation of mines, with joint control by the operative miners. The purchase price by the State is not to exceed the actual capital involved, and payment will be made by interest-bearing bonds.

May 2. The increased wages for miners under the new Federal agreement will operate on Monday. The federation has adoptea a new agreement to prevent further stoppages, under which all disputes must be referred to special committee's.

Mr Holman states that the increases in the price of coal tinder commonwealth control will involve an additional payment of £1,000,000 by New South Wales consumers, and that the State Government instituted an inquiry because of the threat that, by arrangement between the employers and the employees, the public would be forced to make these extra payments.

May 4. In' connection with the Federal Government's decision to commandeer coal the Customs Department has issued amended regulations prohibiting the shipment of coal overseas, including New Zealand, without a. permit. New Zealand' has hitherto been exempt from such a regulation.

May 5. Under the commonwealth proclamation the increased prices of coal and the in* creased wages of miners operate from to-, day. Prom to-dav the price of Northern district coal will be increased by 2s 9d per ton, Southern district .by 2s 6d, and Western by 2s 3d, while for miners other than contract workers the wages are increased by 15 per cent., and the adult wage for off-hand employees is raised by 2s 7d per day. THE SUPPLY TO NEW ZEALAND. * A SERIOUS SHORTAGE. WELLINGTON, May 2. Referring to the announcement that the Federal Government had decided to commandeer all coal in the commonwealth, the Hon. A. M. Myers stated that so far as he could judge at the moment the dominion'B supply from Newcastle would not be detrimentally affected, as it was not anticipated ' that the output from the mines would be reduced Recent strikes in Newcastle had given considerable cause for anxiety, but from information received he understood that the bulk of the mines had resumed work, and he hoped that a regular supply would soon be again coming to hand_from that source. Purther, every endeavour was being made to arrange for oversea ships en routs to the dominion, both via America and Australia, to pick up cargoes of coal. The recent epidemic and the strike at Millerton, together with the continued stoppage of, work at the Green Island mines, Otago, had accentuated the acute shortage of coal %vhich had existed during the past two years in practically every part of the dominion. Every possible effort is being made, however, concluded Mr Myers, to do the best possible in the national interests with the' supplies that are coming to hand. THE SHORTAGE GENERAL. V The coal shortage in Dunedin is acute, the position being accentuated by the stoppage of work at the Green Island mines. The Corporation Gas Works has exhausted its supply, and but for the Railway Department releasing about 2CO tons of Newcastle in stock, a very serious position would have arisen. This, however, is a mere scopgap, and the position is very uncertain. There is a serious shortage in Christchurch, and the gas company there is living from hand to mouth. Several vessels with coal were to arrive at Auckland this week, and thus relieve the tension there.