INDUSTRIAL TROUBLE

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1934, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL TROUBLE

“COAL MINERS’ SQUABBLINGS.” IMPORTANCE OF THE INDUSTRY. The hope that the coal industry of the Dominion would recover from the setbacks caused by strikes and industrial troubles was expressed by Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P., when proposing the toast of the coal industry at the opening of the Hawera Gas Company’s new offices on Monday night. Mr. Dickie said he also hoped the coal industry would make an amicable settlement of its various troubles. tt “I know very little about coal, he said, “and most of what I know is that the coal industry in New Zealand at the present time is in the doldrums. Reference has been made to the amicable relations between the Hawera Gas Company and the South Taranaki Electric Power Board; I only wish those in authority in the coal industry would take a leaf out of their book.” Coal had played a large part in the development of the British Empire and there was still a large market for coal. The railways were using 100 per cent, of New Zealand coal and there was scope for the dairy industry to do the same. „ •> u “No industry has suffered so much from strife and trouble as has coal because of the insane squabblings of the miners,” said Mr. Dickie. “The strife has only resulted in the replacing of coal by oil fuel.”