THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1931, Page 4

THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY.

Though there will be sympathy with the Waikato coal miners whose employment has been terminated, there can be little surprise that the industry finds itself in difficulties. In a small way the coal mining industry in the Dominion has followed the record of a similar one in Great Britain. A boom in the early post-war years, combined with demands by the miners that were out of all reason, but were granted as their cost could bo passed on to the public, made the coal output of both countries reach its height. But as Europe and other countries affected by the war settled down the development of home supplies of coal had a serious effect upon the exports from Great Britain as it did upon exports from New Zealand. Moreover, in the Dominion the miners had alarmed their most profitable customer, the Railways Department. They had withheld supplies until unreasonable demands were granted and they had made delivery according to contract almost impossible because of hold-ups at various mines on the most flimsy pretexts. In the meantime the use of oil and electricity had lessened the demand for coal for steam purposes and for domestic use. Except in emergencies the Australian market is now locally supplied, and other exports are very small. Yet even these circumstances do not seem to have taught miners’ organisations very much. Only a few months ago the threat was made to hold up supplies for the railways, and the authorities countered it by large importations from Australia. In the Auckland province there was trouble at Hikurangi, which led to a serious stoppage and was only overcome when much loss had been incurred by the employers as well as by the miners. The general depression has been limiting factory outputs and the need for steam raising coal has been reduced accordingly. 0 Mine owners are faced with smaller orders and lower prices. In consequence they must work the pits in the most economical manner. This means that instead of employing a few men all the time in the mine the work must be concentrated and fewer men .are required. It looks as though the coal miners of the Dominion will have to recognise, as those of Great Britain have been forced to realise, that they must seek other avenues of employment as permanent improvement in certain coal mining districts is quite unlikely. It is a pity that what might have remained a sound industry has been so undermined by foolish tactics. The consequences are very serious, but there is no apparent way of minimising the hardship they entail. 1