OTIRA TUNNEL TROUBLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 203, 26 August 1909, Page 6

OTIRA TUNNEL TROUBLE.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. McLEAN. (By Telegraph. —Press Association.} WELLINGTON, this day. ' Rejplyung to -the (manifesto of the i Inangahua Miners' Union, Mr. Murdoch McLean, interviewed, claimed that the ' firm had fully complied with the con- ' diUon-s of the Public Contracts Act. Tho Miners' Union award only referred f 01' goldmining companies, besides which tna , firm was paying the men higher wages j than fixed by that award. Any way,! the Miners' Union award had no relation ' to the work undertaken by the firm. ' Tunnelling was special work, requiring special experience. The firm was fully j complying with the provisions of the 1 award under which the work \va3 being ,, carried out, and also urged that the j Truck Act enabled employers to supply appliances and tools. No scheme had been yet devised by which working faces could be lighted by electricity. It was only reasonable to ask the men to protect the firm's property. A large number of lamps had been destroyed through the carelessness of the men. Regarding eight-hour shifts from Saturday to Monday, he said there was no objection to the men working seven hours, but in view of the high rate of wages it unreasonable to ask that they should bo pa/id for the hour not worked. It seemed aoeur-d to submit the matter in dispute to the Conciliation Commissioner, seeing that the men put themselves out of court by committing a breach of the award. He believed the trouble had mainly been caused by a few union men and agitators, and if a free vote had been taken he, felt confident 'that there would have been no trouble.