Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 07 April 1933
The Remedy
No Reprieve Yet
Council Anxious About Gas Supply
Despite persistent rumours that the notices will not mature no confirmation of this could be obtained last night. As yet there are no grounds for assuming that the situation will not take its normal course. Today a deputation from Wombwell Urban Council, consisting of Mr. F. Collindridge, Mr. C. Boocock, Mr. P. M. Walker (Clerk) and Mr. E. J. Wellens (gas engineer) visited the colliery and had a long interview with the chairman of directors, Mr. Robert Claytor, the general manager Mr. W. Claytor and the agent, Mr. L. Smithurst.
The interview, was presumably arranged for the purpose of ascertaining the position in regard to the supply of crude gas from the colliery to the Council’s gas works, but it is understood the discussion also took in the full situation.
The colliery company have already declared that their action has been forced on them by shortage of quota. Last night a representative of this paper interviewed one of the officials in close touch with the situation and obtained amplification of this point. He made the important statement that if the quota allowed to Mitchell could be increased up to the amount of productive capacity the colliery could develop new work and take on almost immediately another 400 men.
The original output of Mitchell Main and Darfield Main was about 750,000 tons per annum, but under the quota system it had been reduced to about 550,000 tons a year. Certain collieries were allowed under the scheme greater output than they could find sale for, with the result that they had sold huge quantities of “quota” to collieries outside their own area. On the other hand, Mitchell Main could sell considerably more coal than they were allowed to raise, and consequently it bad been necessary to cancel contracts. This, he contended, proved beyond doubt that some elasticity in tits application of the system was essential.
Of vital necessity to Mitchell Main was a higher standard tonnage. Mitchell Main was an exception to the rule among local collieries. In order to extend the life of the colliery important developments had been embarked upon with the result that their overhead charges had increased enormously. Under the quota system the fact that they were a developing colliery had not been takes sufficiently into account. Further, Mitchell Main was a public utility undertaking to the extent that they supplied gas for public consumption under contract. They was supplying Wombwell Urban Council with eight and a half millions to twelve million+, cub. ft. of crude gas per mouth at the Wombwell gas works at 7d. per 1,000 and with considerable benefit to the ratepayers.
With increased quota there was no reason why the colliery should not continue to operate and find employment for an increased number of men to the very great advantage of Wombwell. He hinted that along the lines of increased standard tonnage this, the second stoppage, could be averted immediately.