UNEMPLOYED RUN MINE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16914, 1 April 1929, Page 11

UNEMPLOYED RUN MINE

AN raJKHKHKTAL EXPERIMENT OSLO, Feb, 12, A bold social experiment begins this spring, when the unemployed in the small place of Kvcnos, in Northern Norway, will take over the big ore mines of A, S. Ofoten Malmfeh, Ltd., which have boon closed down since lst~,». The initios are owned by Boer Sontheimor :md <'o„ Frank fort -onMaine, Oermany. After having spent nearly £i'»ot*,i>oo on the nndortaking, the Germans gave up because producitioa iras too expensive.

A working arrangement has now been entered into with Beer Sontheimer, by which the unemployed rent the whole undertaking at a price of ISs a year, this sunt being the only liability, Sontheimor further promised to purchase the entire production of the mines at market price. Workers am! employees are to run the wines as a joint undertaking, and have obtained a first mortgage loan to be used as working capital. The estimates reckon on a production of 40i>o tons a month, allowing a daily wage of about <<s, ••Rnt," say the unemployed, "even if we have to work for less we shall be glad,"

The small place of Kvenes has 8000 inhabitants, and practically the whole community is dependent on the mines. Thanks to improvements in machinery. ISA men will be able to produce the same amount of ore as SOU men did before the war.