§ 9. Mr. SMITHERSasked the Secretary for Mines the reason for the dismissal of 1,500 miners at the Mitchell Main Colliery, Wombwell; and if he will inquire into the general position of this colliery and particularly with regard to its quota allocation?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Mr. Ernest Brown)I have seen representatives of the management, of the workmen and of the Wombwell Urban District Council. The colliery company owns two pits, Mitchell Main and Darfield Main. I am informed that the company proposes, in the future, to produce the whole of its permitted output from Dar-field Main as being a more economic unit than Mitchell Main. On 22nd March, 1933, an independent arbitrator declined to grant any increased standard tonnage to the company in respect of these two pits. His award left one point to the decision of the courts, but the colliery company inform me that even if they were successful on this point and were granted the increase the arbitrator indicated should be given in those circumstances, they would not be prepared to reopen the colliery.
§ Mr. SMITHERSDoes the Department realise that the quota system is restricting the business of the coal industry, and is generally helping to kill the trade of this country?
§ Mr. BROWNThe answer to that question is that the Department is not likely to realise it, seeing that, with all its disadvantages, the majority of those connected with the trade, both on the owners' side and on the men's side, take an entirely different point of view.
§ Mr. GRUNDYIs the Secretary for Mines aware that the Mitchell Main Colliery have no intention of having their quota supplied by Darfield Colliery; secondly, is he aware that the urban council of Wombwell trust to their supply for gas to the Mitchell Main Colliery; and, thirdly, is he aware that a local glass works employing several hundred men will have to shut down in the event of this colliery being stopped?
§ Mr. BROWNI am aware of those things. I am also aware that the particular termination of the gas contract will cause a good deal of difficulty in Wombwell; but the colliery, as the House will understand, has carried on for over two years under the quota system and has even been able to sell quota. Since 1st January, 1931, the undertaking, on balance, has sold nearly 20,000 tons of quota, so that the House will realise that there is a very great gulf between propaganda and truth.
§ Mr. HIRSTIs the hon. Gentleman aware that, when they sold part of their quota amounting to 7,000 tons in 1931 and 1932, it was due to the fact that the seam had run out; and seeing that they had to drive two pairs of drifts down to get at the Silkstone seam, is not that a developing colliery which ought to have the quota altered from what it is at the present time? Is he aware that they sold 7,000 tons of their quota, and had to buy 8,000 tons?
§ Mr. BROWNI am aware of those facts, and I am also aware of the fact that, when there was a dispute as recently as last August at Darfield Main, the owner himself admitted that up to that time he had no quota difficulties about which to complain. The complaint was of a dispute about the proportion of dirt in the total output.
§ Mr. GRUNDYIs the Secretary for Mines aware that the Mitchell Main quota has been reduced by 20 per cent. while the area production has been reduced only by 13 per cent.? Is he aware that that is a fact too?
§ Mr. GRUNDYI quote them absolutely confidently; there is no reserve about them.