COAL SHORTAGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23083, 23 December 1944, Page 5

COAL SHORTAGE

Industry Facing A Crisis Recalcitrant Miners N.Z.P.A. —Special Australian Correspondent (9.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 22. Absenteeism on the New South Wales coalfields to-day was the highest for a year and will reduce production by about 50 per cent (25,000 tons). The ratio of attendance at some collieries was as low as five miners of the normal complement of 200. To-day is the last working day for this year, and the coal lost by strikes, absenteeism and go-slow in New South Wales pits this year exceeds 2,500,000 tons—more than 1,000,000 tons, because of avoidable stoppages. Coal authorities state that coal reserves in Australia never have been so low as to-day. They stand at 600,000 tons—3oo,ooo tons less than at the same date last year. By January 8, when the miners plan to resume work, Australia will have only 400,000 tons of coal in reserve to meet every possible contingency. Tlris means that there will be only sufficient coal to maintain the nation’s normal services for 10 days. At the end of the 1929 lock-out, which lasted for 12 months, Australia’s coal reserves were more than double the amount now held to maintain a nation at war and a battle fleet in the Pacific. The Commonwealth Coal Commissioner, Mr N. Mighell, to-day warned all industrial consumers that if the miners did not resume work until January 8 there would be little coal available, even for industries of the highest priority. Such coal as was available would be diverted to the railways, electricity undertakings and gas companies. Much dislocation and unemployment would result if substantial numbers of miners did not return to work on January 2. The president of the Australian Council of Trades Unions (Mr Clarey) and the secretary (Mr Monk) have, flown to Canberra to meet the acting prime Minister (Mr F. M. Forde) and other Federal Cabinet members to discuss the coal crisis. They will offer the Government the unqualified support of the A.C.T.U., representing 90 unions and 500,000 workers, in any action taken to deal with the mieprs who have defied the decisions of this week’s all-union conference aiming at a coal peace. The correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald” on the coalfield, says to-day that the certainty of losing the co-operation of the trade union movement is likely to cause the miners to reject any proposals for a general strike on the coalfields. The Miners’ Federation is in no position to finance a strike, and retailers in the mining towns are reported to be imwilling to “carry” strikers. Until the miners return to work at the end of their Christmas holidays the position on the coalfields will remain gravely uncertain.