THE MINERS’ DIFFICULTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2391, 5 January 1909, Page 5

THE MINERS’ DIFFICULTY.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION -QUESTION.

ALL REEFTON MINES IDLE

[Pbess Association.]

REEFTON, Jan. 4. . Pursuant to the decision arrived at on Saturday night, the miners did not turn up at work this morning. All the mines. .arc virtually idle. In the Energetic mine only the mine manager' and. assistant manager .are working. All the works arc hung up. Casual hands, oven though notified tlvyt no medical examination is required, did not resume work at the tube mills, and the extension of plant is thus delayed. The Keep It Dark mine has been engaged pumping after the Christmas holidays, the mine manager being engaged in lifting buckets and the superintendent at- the engine. The Globe battery is in full swing crushing the remainder of a special lot of stone, but only the manager and one assistant are working. The’re is no news vet from the Globe or Blac'kwater mines. : Latest. —'Matters regarding the deadlock to-day arc very quiet and there is no change to -report. The manager and superintendent of the Globe and Progress Mines started the engines and baled l the mine out. A party of contractors of the Caledonian United shaft, now being sunk by private enterprise, assisted by a Government subsidy, were refused permission by the Union, though no medical examination was required, for the extension of the works on hand. The Globe battery did not resume though no medical examination was required. All the mines were, ready to work this morning and the managers in their nlaccs.

The*workers absolutely stopped the New Ulster mine, though 300 tons i.o suo} 00C h“ UOT D ‘ au ! m AVO N ounce per ton, are ready to work. The manager was the only one there. No proposals for settlement have been made.

WESTLAND COAL MINES NOT YET AFFECTED.

GREYMOUTH. Jan. 4

Everything passed off quietly in the Blac'kwater mine. Work was resumed as usual at the local coal mines. .Some uneasiness is felt as to the ultimate outcome of the Inangahua trouble.

WESTPORT, Jan. 4

Work at the colleries in this district was resumed this morning after the holidays. The output is fairly good. The Reefton trouble so far has not affected the colliery industry.

THAMES MINERS AGREE TO THE

■EXAMINATION

THAMES, Jan. 4

A .largely attended meeting of the Miners’ Union to-night decided, after a lengthy discussion, that miners should undergo medical examination, provided that the companies paid the medical fees involved.

WHANGAREI AND HUNTLY MINES CLOSED.

[Pbess Association.]

AUCKLAND, Jan. 4. In consequence of tlie clause in the new Workers’ Compensation Act passed last session, which throws the responsibility upon mine owners of having to pay compensation in cases ot miners’ complaint, a serious deadlock has arisen in connection with the coal mining industry. In the Auckland district the various mine owners have taken up the stand that the liability involved is too heavy and too miceitain for them to undertake by continuing to employ men suffering from the disease in question, unless, such men sign agreements not to claim m respect of that particular disease. Tins decision has been emphasised by the insurance companies (including the Government Accident Insurance Department) declining to take the additional risk. The coal companies having given instructions that no men arc io be employed who have not been medically examined, the miners in the Whangarei and Huntly districts have refused to undergo the examination. The mines were to have resumed work to-day., but in cadi case the miners Jailed to take up their duties. Coal-mining in the district is therefore at a standstll until some solution is arrived at, and supplies being short, an advance in the price of coal is predicted. Representations are being made to the Government by the Employers’ Association to end the deadlock.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER

OF LABOR

WELLINGTON, Jan. 4. In ! connection with, the miners trouble tlie Hon. M. Millar, speaking to a, “Post” reporter, said: The Government can do absolutely nothing in the matter. It is a question purely between the owners and the men. Tlio men are practically asking the Government to give a blank cheque to every miner in the country who is suffering "from the disease. We could not do that without the authority, ot Parliament. . , Tlio trouble with the miners on the West Coast is being watched with grave anxiety. Mr Pryor, secretary of the Employers’ Federation, has been informed by telegraph that the Auckland mine owners have resolved to insist on the medical examination of tlie. men, in order to see if they are suffering from pneumoconiosis, and to support the West Coast mine owners in the stand they have taken. The same, states Mr Pryor, may bo said of the Otago owners.

AN “HONEST” TRIAL.

fIEWS OF INSURANCE COMPANIES.

Regarding tlio mining difficulty, inquiries made by a reporter at VV ei linglon insurance offices elicited the fact that the question of insurance ot miners had been, given great deal ot consideration. It-had 'been- decided that the proposed increase of LU per cent, on the premiums m respect tothe added liability under the .Workers’ Compensation Act should include the risk in regard to miners’ complaint, provided that the worker was free from the disease at the time of medical examination, which would be insisted upon. It was not a fact (as had been reported) that, no extra charge for the additional liobilit— nil-, dor the Act would be made in connec-

lion with policies which did not expire until alter January I. The increased rates' would apply to all policies in force upon that date. It was intended to collect the dift'erence'in all cases excepting where it was too small to be worth the trouble.

A prominent representative in insurance circles said that under the present circumstances his company did not intend touching, that part of the business which related to the insurance of miners. Tie went on to say that the extent to which miners’ complaint was prevalent could not be ascertained unless workers in the industry submitted to the proposed medical examination under the new Act. There was bound to he an increase in the number of claims. For instance, in respect of such injuries as loss of a finger, where formerly only compensation during unemployment was applied for, there would now be an additional claim for the loss of tdie digit. There had been too much “tinkering” with the legislation on the subject. Those; interested in accident insurance had only just become thoroughly acquainted with the Consolidated Act The Hon. Alr.-Millar had promised amendments to the present Act. That was evidence either of inability ol Ministers to quickly grasp the needs of workers and employers, or of weakness on the part of the Cabinet by seeking to retreat from the difficulties which the workers have raised, by promising further amendments. Under the new Act the worker obtained .many additional advantages. Employers and companies were cpiite willing that it should receive an honest trial.

“SOMEONE HAS BLUNDERED.”

! Writing in the “Otago Daily Times,” Mr David K. Pritchard, who was a conspicuous figure in tho-Black-bail strike, and who is at present in Dunedin, deals with the present coal mining difficulty. in the course of his communication, he says:—“‘When one bears in mind the fact that the mining laws of the' Transvaal provide for two shafts, whereas in the Dominion our laws only provide for one, there is not much doubt as to the certainty of a mine becoming speedily contaminated with phthisis in New Zealand. The miners become affected with this disease through inhaling the smoke of powerful explosives used to rend rocks, and fine quartz dust, which is almost continually circulating through the mine. Once this dust gets settled internally no medical power can remove it. I have already said it is non-preventible, but still a great deal could be done to lengthen the lives of those already slightly affected with it, and to mitigate its evil influence amongst those voting men just entering on mining lire. Howf—By the installation of artificial ventilation. the same as is required by the law in every coal mine. This, of course, would mean increased expenditure, but sweat runs i aster titan fans., and human souls are cheap. Now, however, a deadlock seems imminent, and if I know anything of the spirit of rite miners on the '"West Coast, there is every probability that trouble will arise unites some reasonable compromise is established. “The Prime Minister advises the men to accept medical examination—‘it will only be one examination’ —but if the assumption of the Miners’ Federation is correct, what is he going to do to provide work for the oO per cent, of miners who would consequently be rejected. I admit the position is serious, 'and someone has blundered.”