THE MINERS' DIFFICULTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2392, 6 January 1909, Page 5

THE MINERS ' DIFFICULTY.

NORTHERN GOAL COMPANY'S DRASTIC ACTION. MANY VESSELS TO BE LAID UP. [Press Association.] A UCKLAND, •lan. 5. The Northern ' Coal - Company, which pays £25,000 yearly in- wages, and £SOOO to £6OOO for accident insurance, offered the whole of slier, accident insurance to the iSt.ite of lice, which wars declined, whereupon the company decided to lay up between 25 and 30 boats employed In their business, pay off. the men today, and anchor the vessels in the stream. The company contemplate arranging for supplies of Newcastle coal to provide for the needs of their customers.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM BLACKBALL.

GREY MOUTH, Jan. 5

The Blackball Miners’ Union lastnight endorsed the action of the Reefton and - Waikato miners. They expressed sympathy, and promised financial support. They held that the Government should endeavor to have the risks taken by the infinran.ee companies, and urged upon the Cabinet the injustice of clause 17, which will enable men to contract out of the Act.

A PECULIAR POSITION. THiAA IE S, J'i n. 5. ) A peculiar position has arisen in connection with the attitude of the Thames Miners] Union regarding tU medical examination. Last- night the Thames branch decided to submit’ 'to examination, provided _ the companies paid the medical he--. Last night the Karangahake branch of the Thames Miners’ Union decided unanimously not to submit 11 medical examination. It is necessary to take the votes of both brandies to ascertain the views of th'* Union; It has now been found that the majority favor the refusal. Many men at the Thames decided to sticK to their com rules. Others have gone to work, some having UK hers resumed in accordance with the Thames resolution carried last night It is possible that those working wit be asked to step). It is doubtful A some will agree to do so. It is al.-c doubtful if the local companies, some being struggling concerns, will tain the men back without medical examination, aa the Wailii and Tollman companies have done. Anot-hc? point is that if the men now working cease, can they be prosecuted for striking?

NORTHERN MIXERS FIRM. WHANGAREI. Jan. 5. All the coalminers in Hikurang' and Kiripaka express their determination to remain firm in their do cision net to undergo -medical examination. Colonel Holg ite, man-g ing director, meets the men to-mor-row. but there is small hope of an;, -agreement under the circumstances.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER

[Press Association.]

WELLINGTON. Jam -3. The Prime Minister to-day sent tb.e following telegram io 31 r R. Semple. president of the Miners'- Federation : 4 ‘ln reply to your telegram as there is some conflict as to tin interpretation, of Section 10 of the Workers’ Compensation Act. the Government. in addition to obtainin'.the opinions of the Crown law officers, is also obtaining the independent opinion of a high legal authority outside upon the section. If the opinions- do no', bear out the interpretation pnt_upon the section by employers and the insurance companies, then the difficulty can be promptly settled.”

THE POSITION AT REEFTON REEF TON. -Jan. o.

Matters are remarkably quiet. Except that numbers of men are in the streets, there is no outward sign of the deadlock. Rain is falling and depressing still further the depressing situation. The Caledonian miners, referred to last night, were allowed to_retuni to work. The objection taken to -them by the Union was on account of two non-unionists being included anion r them. These joined the Union and were nermitted to work.

The mining companies inquired of the Union if they would Arrow a caretaker over mines and batteries. Tills request was refused. There is no change in the report in holding the mines. Some baling bad been done by managers am] sap e rin t ei 1 d on ts. Statistics gathered show that over 830 me.ll are affected.

Twelve tributers at the Golden Fleece are the only miners working. A large number, of casual bands employed were not required to submit to medical examination. Still thev did not resume.

MR O’REGAN AND THE MINISTER. Interesting telegraphic communications between the Minister of Labor and Mr P. J. O’Regan are published in the "luaugnhuu Times.” The Minister, in a lengthy wire, says that the question of death is -not only to In; proyided for. Under the suggestion that Government' should hi iler-ta-lco insurance, which practically asks the Government to give a blank cl 0que. to cover all eases of miner sphthisis at the present time, once compensation were guaranteed the moment any sign of the- disorder was proved to exist Government vou.ci bo" called on to nay. It-is impossible, therefore, for Government to undertake an unknown liability. He regretted that- it is impossible to comply with the request that .money, the property of t-lie people, of New Zealand as a whole, should be required to'be used for the purpose, whereas Parliament intended that the mine owners receiving the profit of a miner’s labor should indemnify a man from injury caused through disease incidental to his work. Mr Millar saw no way of preventing the trouble,' except both sides waiving the ■provisions of the clause affecting the question until Parliament meets. -1 this cannot be arranged what must he must. be. He was sorry to bear 01 the threatened trouble eventuating, but, the Government cannot be placed in a fa’se'"^ositioii.

The Government Insurance Department has issued a circular to the coal mine owners in this district cancelling contracts unless a -medical examination is hold on employees now working, to be engaged or re-engag-ed. The coalmine owners here resent the conditions. No coal miner’s phtlisis is prevalent. The coal mines combination is raising the price of coal. In the course of a reply to the "Minister, Mr O’Regan points out that there is no liability until Incapacity, and that must take place, according to the Act, within twelve .months after contracting the disease. Hence the blank cheque is subject to so many endorsements that it is useless to the holder. Therefore, the risk is absurdly exaggerated. He also .considers that the ease has not been honestly placed before the public, seeing that (he ,object of* medical examination is to obtain indemnity, not only against- miner’s disease, but every physical defect. This means that the Act is rendered useless to every man predisposed to infirmity. Even if the men were contracted out of miner’s disease, the owners would not then be satisfied, but demand complete indemnity under Section 17. Yet it had gone forth to the public that the difficulty solely rested on miner’s complaint. Air O’Reg.an comments strongly on the Government Insurance Department demanding examination of coal miners, when every one ought to know that miner’s phthisis does not affect coal miners. Indeed, the action of the Department was considered Ly the miners as likely to provoke trouble.