The Waikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1920. THE COAL INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14262, 13 January 1920, Page 4

The Waikato Times With which is Incorporated The Waikato Argus. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1920. THE COAL INDUSTRY.

Now that the election is over and the Government relieved of the task of canvassing, it is to he hoped that they will speedily turn their attention to the condition of the coal industry. We say the Government, because it must be

evident to anyone who gives the matter consideration that the position is one with which they must eventually deal. The mine-owners have neither the power nor have they the inducement to force the position. They can, it is true, shut down the mines altogether; but that would merely result, from their point of view, in turning a reduced profit into no profit at all. At the increased prices which are charged mine-owners arc probably doing fairly well, although not so well as would bo the case with normal production. The public arc the real sufferers, and it is on their behalf that the Government must act, unless the country is prepared to sit down to poverty and to abandon all hopes of the progress so often promised. It is certainly not an easy task to solve the difficulties created by the miners’ action of doing half the work of which they arc capable, and occupying the ground against other men who might do more, tout the position is due to some extent to Government errors in the past. When they yielded to the request of the Federation after refusing the same request to the Trade Unions we maintainedvthat they were opening the way for trouble, and we have now had the trouble for some months, and it is growing. Wo said at that time that the mistake arose from ignorance of the opinions held by miners, and we are afraid that the ignorance exists in exactly the same degree to-day. When the miners resolved to work under Trade Union conditions in preference to joining the Federation it is reasonable, to suppose that they had some grounds for their choice, and we suggest that it was because they feared some trouble such as now exists. When the Federation showed them that It had greater influence with the Government than they had, they abandoned their unions and joined the Federation. It is useless to denounce extreme Labour and yet make concessions to it which are refused to moderate Labour. In any case there must be large numbers of (he men still working who a short time since preferred Trade Unions, and we would suggest that the Government have enquiries made on this point. The next stop would toe to enlist the services of returned soldiers, and offer them the opportunity of acquiring the necessary knowledge and skill under the tuition of the saner portion of the miners. It will be tout a short time 'before they will earn wages that will be a sufficient inducement to others, and thus the industry will gradually return to a normal position. There are apparently well-grounded complaints about inadequate housing at some of the mining districts, and although wo hold, that tiie miners are themselves responsible for this, yet as our proposals would involve an invitation by the Government to volunteers for the work it would necessarily follow that satisfactory housing must be provided. The action could be taken in the first place at the Stale coal mines, at which the miners have always been among the first to create trouble, although we do not believe that the State is a bad employer. A sufficient number of, returned men would toe a guarantee that the peace would be kept, and they should be paid' piece wages at a rate that would mark the country’s appreciation of their action, with a guarantee of permanence for some considerable period, and a minimum for the time during which they are learning the business. The course we have suggested would certainly involve the country in very considerable cost, and there may well be hesitation on that account. We would, however, point out that the country is already paying very large sums on account of the minors’ action, and will be called on to pay more, \Vo are a long-suffering cdfiifniimty and have forgotten the railway cut, until it occurs again. The increased prices of various commodities which are due to coal shortage are accepted with oriental fatalism, though a remedy could toe found. The effort to import coal in sufficient quantity to carry .on with is a mistaken policy. In the first place the amount is inadequate, and in the present condition of shipping U must remain inadequate. In Hie second place the price is a heavy lax on the community, and in the third place the import of coal from Australia leads to the export of timber for back freight, and there is no reason why such export should toe encouraged. These are good and sufficient reasons why the policy of importing In make up the shortage should be abandoned, and more direct action taken. The concentration of shipping on the coal trade is hampering business in other directions, and cannot ho permanently maintained. The lime has arrived for a more vigorous policy, which should toe inaugurated at once, so that it may he in going order before winter has increased Hie demand for coal. We have not denounced tlie action of the men, because it seems to us useless to do so. There has been too much scolding and too lit lie inquiry. At the same lime, it is impossible to write on the coal industry without pointing out that the besl paid class of manual workers in tiie country are prepared to injure everybody else to gain some further concessions. Tiie demand for. nationalisation is one that they have never defined, and the State miners are no more satisfied than otuers. It cannot be said that llinir action is a pro-

tost, against capitalism, for they injure everybody indiscriminately, and necessarily the poorer part of the community suffers most. Many, of them arc tired of half wages, and some, it is to he hoped, are ashamed of the position. The history of coal-mining is a sad one, and it is little more than a hundred years since Scotch miners were sold with the mine, and were denied by law the rights of their fellows. The sins of the fa!hers are visited en the children. though that is small consolation for us who are. conscious that wo have had no part in the iniquity, and it is no excuse for those who arc acting in more reckless mischief. In any case it is time that the position was taken in hand, and we trust to see the Government moving- at an early dale.