Document LoXp1r9vKKb6Nx2983qD73N3q

/ \ -4 I t .AUSTMUAN etHC AS6:*7" - . . 2aMAPf966 PER T 789 24th March* 1966 A Australian Blue Asbestos tty.Ltd * .ttTTSMPOE. Pr*dM'*f:r4 In A"v2tw3 Personal copied to iniCr.oro r. o-;Uy3s Otar ;lr, PORTING, following on discussions at ittenooo, would you lease carry out a taat to dattrnlnt tht amount of flbra in th* rock discarded from the picking station* Tht last tost was mad* In June 1964 and latter No.643 fro* .-erth dated 16th June* 1964 refers* Copy of this letter is attached. ->TAFF, .<ould you please let us have a breakdown of current a*3.\* staff. It seems that several people may be now regarded as staff who were previously classed as wsga earners and wa would like to havt these details end to know to whom the staff conditions* such as rant frae houses* fares etc. apply* cn comparing our records it seems that the number of clexicsl staff have increased* t'lease advise if this is so* end let us have e comparison between current total staff and that of say a yoar ago* rRQDICTXCN. with the increase in supervisory stsff in the mill end* particularly while the production is low* there should bo every opportunity to closely supervise the picking of waste rock end we would ask you to give this aspect e high priority* *o agree with you that the factors used in calculating the overall yield may not be accurate end that as an absolute figure the overall yield may not be correct* However* it seems to us that It it still valid for comparison with past periods provided the same methods of measurement of fibre end ore ere 8till being used end the seme factors ere used* Looked at from this point of view there has been e marked drop in overall yield to about 76% in the lest six months as compered to 80 to 89* for the preceding several years and this is s strong indication that there has been e change in performance either underground or in the mill or In both* You suggest that two contributing factors ere ore broken* but left underground* end Ibrfses of *.V 2 Personal |^:iin< (_ _.r "" - : ;rsJ and U.^.y CCpitrU iO I ; :;*,sra r. Scruggs fibrt in nicked wests* If you art right on the first point then close attention needs to be given to the final cleaning uo of stopes as was discussed with fcr. Grahsm by Vr. Brosdhurst and we would like Mr* Graham to closely check the stopes worked out during the last few months and to have an estimate made of the amount of ore still left* e close estimate can be made of the fibre left in the areas by measuring the depth of broken ore and the area* The usual practice was to ansura that tha amount of ore covered in the screoer contracts was lass than that brokan and to aat a separata contract for 15 or-20 for the final clean up* As the fibre from the clean-up ore Is often hard to clean in the mill# the work was spread evenly by doing one area each wsek-end. Regarding the loss of fibre in picked waste the position could be improved if the use of water underground could be-, minimised or further reduced and if better lighting is provided at tha picking station# Apart from these points we are not sure that the milling operation is being controlled as closely as it needs to be for maximum recovery and there appears to be some indication that tha aetual loss of fibre in tailings is higher than is shown by the mill shift tester's routine checks* * think It is advisable to arrange for Mr* Langley# who is familiar with the mill operations and has had several years experience of working on improvements to the efficiency of the milling process# to spend several waeka at wlttenoom as soon ss possible to examine each stage of the milling process to try and pinpoint changes in performance and possible fibre losses* Assuming you agree with this we would like you to telegraph us your approval so that immediate arrangemants can be made for tfr* Langley to go to ftittenooa* TRAINEE .MINERS * Following on a visit to Canberra by Messrs* Boradhurst and Allan# we heve been giving some further thought to the amount of bonus payment to trainee miners as discussad with you during ths recant visit of Motors* King and Broadhurst* It is dsar that we cannot expect any Influx of man frosi overstas for some months tnd we must build up the lebour force from locsl applicants; Assuming that all trains# miners stayed with us for thrss months and collected ths full amount of bonus psymsnt# and that we only retained one in four of them# we would et the moat be involved in a payment of about 4#000 per annum* By comparison with the time required and cost of improving ths labour position in othsr ways such ss by up*grading accommodation# ths bonus payment to trainee miners appears to us to be the quickest and ehaapest way of trying to Improve the underground labour position. This being so we should make it as attractive as possible for underground trainees to ramain at wittsnoom and we would prefer to see the agreed amount of 25 at the end of each four weeks for / 1 cop; As*cssl:o Personal /-wT-^rn3 ;iad and * .<>( r *- leruggs m i * * -3 the first 12 weeks Increased to 40* Sven at this level we doubt if we art matching what unskilled man can tarn for a week's work (even though tha hours may ba longer) on othar projects in tha Haaartlay area*-- would you also plaasa sand us a list showing tha number of txsinaas who hava baan angagad during tha last six months and tha langth of time for which aaeh of tham-has remained-- .e raalisa that soma tapering off payment may ba nacassary aftar tha 12 waaks period and wa iaava this to you to arrange* _______ ____ ............................ .................... ~ATH OFFICE. The forth Office carries out two groups-- of functions* for tha mine it Is mainly concerned with.labour engagement* purchasing and-paymant.for purchases* Cn behalf of tha C,5*A. Company* r'erth office looks after the detalls'of fibre shipment* invoicing and receipt of payment* *e believe that these functions can all ba looked after satisfactorily by Mr* Jhepherdson as i erth Office Onager. The *erth Office thus provides e service to the mins at 'ittenoom end in respect of thes^ matt-?** h<* rarth Office Manager would receive instructions direct from tha A.3.A. General Manager at ^ittenoom* In respect of fibre sales* tor* Thomas is responsible on behalf of C*3.A, for maintaining contact with customers* and meeting their requirements as regards quality* and passing information to the mine in reepect of quality requirements Mr* ihepherdson will maintain close liaison with Mr* Thomasin respect of all fibre shipping mettere end as Mr* Thomas-lathe senior officer in forth he will have general supervision over Mr. Shepherdson'e activities without* however* responsibility for matters connected with mining operations on which Mr* Ohephtrdson receives instructions direct from ftittenoom* All correspondence to forth from Alttenoom should be addressed to the Office Manager end it will be distributed by Mr* Shepherdson* All staff in Perth Office, other than Mr* Thomas* -of course* will be under-the control of Mr* shepherdson from an offlee management point of view* and it will be Mr* hepherdson*a responsibility to Interpret your Instructions* Yours faithfully* pro Gonorel Manager. . .