Miners' Complaint

The present industrial system, with, its poverty and its panics, its slums and its workhouses, iv addition to its many other unpleasant features, ia demanding every year an increasing number of human sacrifices.

In ordinary everyday circles there are what are known as industrial accidents or industrial diseases. In plain, unvarnished language, they are human sacrifices —human beings done to death in the wild, chaotic plunge after profits —done to death because human life is far cheaper than tho installation of preventive measures in mill or factory, or mine. The ordinary ciuizen has had this profit-chasing system so ingrained that whilst a momentary shudder may at times shake his complacent frame when somo particularly shocking disaster is brought to light, the deaths and woundings of modern commerce are regarded as unavoidable. They aro the risks the workers have to run for their crime of poverty. Yet authorities and impartial investigators have time and again disclosed that human life, now sacrificed in industry, could be saved if money were spent in adequate protection. Ah I there's tho rub. Money I

Of tho many tragedies perpetrated upon the working-class called by an enlightened community accidents or industrial diseases, there is none, perhaps, which domands a heavier toll than the mining industry.

Down in the bowels of the earth the miner courts death, a sudden and unexpected death, every moment of tho day. Thc danger is ever-present. An explosion, collapse of the tunnel, roof or stope, tho falling rock — by these moans docs death come.

Tho death-roll from such sources alone exceeds that of most industries.

But death lurks underground in an even more-dreaded form. Tho miner may escape the explosion, tho falling stono, only to fall a victim to that awful disease known as miners' complaint.

In New Zealand the public 'has long been cognisant of the existence of miners' complaint, but has never moved in tho matter. Tho daily press fro<»t i ; mo to time announces the death of this person or that from minors' complaint and the public shrugs its should* ers and turns to the next new* item. Tho public doesn't care. It is not oon-

corned in the matter apparently. What is ono minor's lifo more or* less anyhow? Miners! Puoh! Irresponsible, discontented wretches who don't know when thoy aro well off—so soliloquises the public.

Miners' complaint, according to the highest medical authorities on the question in Now Zealand, could bo practically wiped out if proper precautions wore taken—if money were spent.

Dr. Lapraik, of Thames, giving ovideuco before tho Mines Commission, said of miners' complaint that it was due primarily to tho inhalation of dust. As to the prevention of tho disease: ,( I would say that every means should bo devised to have as Utile dust as possible in the workings."

Dr. Walshe, medical officer in charge of tho Thames Hospital, said: "Some time ago I examined a number of men »nd found 1G per cent, had some chronic •ffectiou of the lungs resulting from •forking underground."

Dr. Conlon, of Reefton, stated before tho Mines Commission: "Miners' disease is an insidious, slow business, and might deceive the most capablo doctor. By an examination ho cannot detect tho disease. I can bring into this room men who aro looking as healthy as possible, and any doctor would give them first-class certificates for insuraneo, yet I know they have tho disease."

In. reply to a question about miners' complaint, Dr. Conlon said: "Have you also appreciated tho fact that it is an accident? It is duo to th<? cutting of tho lungs by small particles of quartz, and in that sonso it is an accident. I would like to make that aspect of the case clear."

Dr. Fnuer-llurst, of Waihi, said ;, 'that no matter how slight the dust nuisance, as far as practicable there ■hould be some remedy provided."

All medical authorities aro in agreement that when miners' complaint reaches an acute stage it is contagious <—in short, ordinary tuberculosis has set in. This after the disease has run a course of ten, fifteen, or twenty years •—years of suffering and agony for tho Unfortunate miner. "KEEP DOWN THE DUST," that is thc advice of all the capable medical men. . "Keep it down by a water spray,' ' says Drs. Lapraik, Walshe, 'Frazcr-llurst, Cuinnoss, Scott and Oonlon—all of them insist upon this most necessary precaution in order to prevent the contracting of the disease. By accepting tho advice of these medical men, by insisting upon the adequate v.so of tho water spray, tho primary causes of ono of tho most dreaded and ravaging "industrial diseases" known will be practically wiped out. Dr. Conlon, states that it is an accident. We want to prevent its recurrence. That is one of the issues in the Reefton light. Tho press and tho public call those who aro endeavoring to sco that tho advice of expert medical men is carried out wasters and worse. The bounden duty of one and all of tho working-class is to help reduce the appallingly lengthy list of the maimed and murdered of our chaotic, industrial System.