WAIKATO COALFIELDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 241, 13 October 1942, Page 4

WAIKATO COALFIELDS

MINERS’ APPROVAL OF STATE CONTROL (P.A.) Auckland, Oct. 11. The proposals for State control of the Waikato miners were discussed with the executive of the Northern Miners’ Union by the Minister of Mines (Mr. Webb) when he visited Huntly to-day. The Minister stated to-night that the executive had expressed complete approval of the proposals. The personnel of the board to control the undertakings had not yet been recommended, but it was expected this would be done early this week, said Mr. Webb. Each side would submit a panel of names deemed to be acceptable to both parties concerned, and the selection of the board would be made by the Minister. The board, which would be chosen as soon as the. names were available, would sit In Auckland. Mr. Webb will address a public meeting in Huntly on Tuesday night and explain the proposals affecting State control of the mines. He will travel to Wellington after the meeting. The Under-Secretary of Mines (Mr. C. H. Benney) will arrive in Auckland on Tuesday. “ANOTHER BLACK PAGE” COMMENT BY OPPOSITION LEADER (P.A.) Dunedin, Oct. 12. “Mr. Webb was unquestionably telling the truth when he said the Northern Miners’ Union executive were completely happy over the confiscation of the Waikato coal mines,” said Mr. S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, who arrived here this morning. “This is another black page in the Gcvernment’s record of industrial appeasement and capitulation to the forces of lawlessness by playing the enemy’s game, as Mr. Semple put it, by holding up production by disorganising our transport system so that thousands of soldiers were locked in their camps because there was inefficient coal to take them to their

homes and families,” continued Mr. Holland. “Thirteen hundred coal miners have won an important battle toward the main objective of State control and socialisation. Thirteen hundred striking coal miners have succeeded in robbing 13,000 hard- ' working dairy farmers who co-opera-tively own two of the Waikato mines of the right to manage their own affairs. Eleven hundred coal miners, wantonly broke the law and have not even been summonsed and prosecuted. Thirteen thousand dairy farmers broke no law and committed no wrong. The finding of the Court of Inouiry was entirely in their favour, yet they virtually lose control of their own mines, and any increased earnings are to be confiscated to the use of the war funds to pay fees, salaries and allowances to members of this board. This is a grave misuse of war funds and will be received with much misgivings by the public. “Much is devoted in the statement to the question of excess profits being paid to the war expenses account, but there is a significant silence on the important question of where any deficiency or loss is to come from. One naturally wonders, why the Minister is silent on this point,” added Mr. Holland. “The original regulations provided that any losses should be a charge on the war expenses account, and if there were insufficient funds to pay the average dividend to shareholders, then a dividend would be made up out of the war expenses account. Again this would be a grave misuse of war funds and a serious shock to the public.”