H.—44a

32

At another large colliery on the same field during the year ending 26th April, 1918, over 10 per cent, of the possible working-time was lost through causes other than reported accidents and sickness, and it was stated that the miners could have increased their actual weekly earnings from £4 Is. Bd. to £4 17s. 2d. by working full time during the three months ending at that date. At two other largo collieries in another part of the Dominion the position had improved. At one of these the average number of shifts worked per week per man was as follows: — Table 26. 1914. 1918. Miners .. .. .. .. .. 4f 5| Truckers .. .. .. . . .. 5 5| Surface shift-men .. .. .. .. 5J 5f Underground shift-men .. . . .. 5| 6J Possible (for miners) . . .. .. .. 5 5f This represents a slightly higher percentage of attendance of miners even though the maximum length of the working-week had been increased. At the other colliery there was, said the owners, " little cause to complain " of lost time on the part of the miners ; for the shifts worked during the fortnight preceding our visit the percentage of lost time was 6f. At another field the percentage of shifts lost in the principal mine during the preceding twelve months was 9J ; not quite 3 per cent, of the men were absent on each working-day. Three mines on another field recorded the following data : At one the mine was idle 15 shifts out of 274 possible shifts in 1914, and for nine months of 1918 16 out of 213 possible. When the mine was working the percentage of shifts lost by the men was 4in 1914 and 6in 1918. At the second mine the average time lost per miner was reduced from 1-15 shifts to 1-12 per fortnight, and in the other there was a very slight increase of lost time from 0-9 to 0-94 shifts per fortnight. Two mines in another field both show a reduction in the average number of shifts worked per week by the miner—in the one case from 5 to 4f, and in the other from 4| to 4. In -all cases the truckers and underground and surface shift-men show a higher number of shifts worked per week than the miner, and, comparing the earlier part of the period 1913-18 with the later, they often show an increase in the average number of shifts worked per man per week when the miner shows a decrease, as, for example, in the following case :— Table 27. , Shifts per Week. , 1913-14. 1917-18. Miners .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4-5 4'o Truckers . . .. . . .. . . .. 4-56 4-87 Shift-men .. .. .. .. .. . . 5-98 6-08 At another field two of the four chief mines show a slight decrease in the amount of time worked by miners per working-week over the period 1913-18. The two other mines show a decrease up to the early part of 1917, and an increase afterwards. (iii.) Time lost by Mines. The time during which mines have been idle has in several cases formed a serious proportion of the total time they could have worked. A valuable analysis has been prepared of the number of days that the State mines at Point Elizabeth and Rcwanui could have worked, the number of days worked, and the causes of the cessation of work. The return covers the period April, 1913, to September, 1918, for Point Elizabeth, and April, 1915, to September, 1918, for the Liverpool Mine. The time lost through pay-Saturdays, holidays, and the cavilling-time has not been included in the possible working-time as defined in the return. The Point Elizabeth Mine stood idle during 13-3 per cent, of its possible working-time, the Liverpool Mine 17-3 per cent. The following shows the number of days the mines stood idle owing to each particular cause : — Table 28. p Number of Days idle, 1913-18. oauso - Point Elizabeth. Both Mines. Strikes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 109 146 Lack of shipping. . . . .. .. .. 48 108 Harbour unworkable .. .. .. .. 34 59 Slips .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 38J Floods .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 4 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. . . 1\ 5| Total .. .. . . .. .. 197 \ 361 Number of days mine could have worked, p o int excluding union holidays, pay-Saturdays, Elizabeth. Both Mines - Liverpool. and cavils .. .". .. .. 1,488£ 2,432| 944 Percentage of time lost by mine .. .. 13-3 14-9 17-3