COAL OWNERS AND MINERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16505, 5 August 1919, Page 7

COAL OWNERS AND MINERS.

MEETING TO-DAY. Per Press Association. ■ WELLINGTON. August-1. The Coal Miners’ Conference did not actually reassemble to-day, it having been decided to adjourn until to-mor-row morning. ! WELLINGTON. August 5. | When the Coal Mining Conference resumed to-day Mr. T. O. Bishop, acl-iug-imder-socrelary of mines', gave the Departmental figures showing the actual cost of producing coal at the State mines was £2 os Oil per ton delivered to the consumer in Wellington. Allowing for the decreased output due to the abolition of the contract ,-ystem the total increased cost per ion lor a seven hour day would be ills (id, and lor a six hour day lbs Id. tins was based on the assumption Dial the decrease in oiiLput would lie 30 per cent. ’I in' loud increased co.l ol producing the output if the demands i\ere conceded would be i1.00,2U0. Assuming the mineus produced much coal per hour under the wage as under the contract system the decreased output, compared with last year, due to the shorter working time would be fisTr-i tons lor the. seven hour day. or 13.213 tons lor the six hour day. Mr. Pryor, on behalf of the owners, submitted it comparative retain prepared by representative mine managers, showing the estimated .mreased cost which would follow the adoption ol the i miners’ demands. Ibe ligures were | prepared independently ol those ,-uhniifted by the State Coal Department, but it could be seen thin tiiey were almost identical. Mr. ITavcll, general manager of the Wcstport-Suieluon Coal Company, said that the pnblie u ere - chiefly concerned in the question oi bow to get coal. The total output of New Zealand in 1917 was 2.0(18.419 tons and the number of employees in the mines 39i)1, of whom 1300 were colliers. The output averaged 0.43 tons. If granted 10 shifts petfortnight they woidd lose 2(1 day’s work, cqnel to 077 b tons per day. aggregating 228.100 tons. Grattling a 7-hour day meant shr. lOmin. work, instead of Ohr. lUmin., or a, reduction in output of over 10 per coin., equal to 310,201 lints. , The present holidays were nine during I the year; 22 were now asked for. If | they assumed four fell on Sunday and pay Saturdays, nine extra holidays were asked for, representing 78,9.37 tons. If they- agreed to abolish the tonnage rate, system for £T a day, irrespective of results, it would mean a reduction of 621).522 tons. If the demand for the six hours’ bank-to-hauk was granted the coal mining industry would soon be as dead as Julius Caesar. Mr. Alison said the ligures presented , by the ‘.Mines Department confirmed the owners’ estimates of the increased co.-l and decreased output.' Nothing bad been adduced to cause, the employers to alter their decision.