COAL MINE "LANGUAGE."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 228, 25 September 1926, Page 13

COAL MINE "LANGUAGE."

" SAID WITH A SMILE." CHARGES AGAINST MANAGER. HUNTLY COURT CASE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) HUNTLY, this day. Andrew Burt, manager of the Pukeniiro Collieries, Ltd., was charged in the local court, on the information of the Inspector of Mines (Mr. Barclay), that he did unlawfully behave in a violent manner in the mine contrary to regulation 799 of the Coal Mines Act, and, further, did use threatening and abusive language in the mine, contrary to the provisions of the Act.

Evidence in support of the charge was given by Frederick Newton (secretary of the union), Robert Gardiner and John Laurie, and by Andrew Burt, who denied the charge but admitted that he put his hand on Newton and used mine language during a discussion about dip yardage." His Worship said that in a coal mine it was important that discipline >liould be strictly enforced. He did nut think that Burt acted as Newton suggested. "I think," said the magistrate, "he caught hold of Newton with the object of persuading him. Newton immediately threatened to report him to (lie Inspector and undoubtedly provoked the manager, and with this provocation he nsed language. . t was the duty of the scrutineer to have obeyed the manager, and he quite unreasonably threatened to report the manager. As to the words used, they mean nothing. To call a man a with a smile on your face meant nothing in a coal mine. It was an ordinary everyday expression. The first charge of having unlawfully behaved in a violent manner would be dismissed. No one took it seriously, and only after the lapse of a week did Newton act. The second charge of threatening and abusive language his Worship amended by deleting the word abusive. On this charge defendant would be convicted and fined 20/.