A COMPREHENSIVE CHALLENGE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13094, 20 April 1908, Page 7

A COMPREHENSIVE CHALLENGE.

(SrECIAt TO "THE PRIBS.")

GREYMOUTH, April 18.

Mr Leitch, mine mamager at Blackball, has published the following letter: "J waited patiently until Messrs Hickey audi Pritchard returned from their tour round tho Dominion*, and now they have returned, or are about to return, I issue the following challenge: That the Minister of Mines be asked to appoint two men, one to be a first-class mining • manager, the other to be a qualified miner having a knowledge of gases met with in coal mines, to inspect the Blackball mine, and if they can find carbon dioxide (black damp), carbon monoxide (white damp), carburretted.. hydrogen (fire damp) or sulphuretted hydrogen (these are all the gases commonly'found i_ minesjin any bord level or hoarding in which the miners worked on the last day tbe mine was worked, I guarantee to pay expenses to these two men and also to pay £20 to the Grey River Hospital. But if none of the above gases can be found in the aforesaid places, the expenses of the two experts and £20 to the hospital to be paid by Messrs Hickey and Pritchard. Messrs Hickey and Pritchard may go into the mine along with the two experts and myself and may point out' the working places where they say gases are to be found. My reason for issuing the above < challenge is that un-. truthful statemonts regarding the ventilation of the Blackball mine havo been made by Messrs Hickey and Pritchard, two of which.l will quote. The following statement was made by Sir Pritchard:—Why, then, had heallowed the men to work for years amidst danger, among, gelatine smoke, and black damp, and gas damp, and other damps?' Mr. Pritchard is reported to have made the statement publicly in Christchurch. The following statement was made, in a special article to the 'Worker,' written by Mr Hickey:—'To the miner nothing is so important as fresh air in sufficient quantities to carry off the -fumes of tho explosives, black damp, and other noxious, gases, and in no mine on the' West Coast are there more gases than in the case of the Blackball mine.' 1 might state that no work has been done -in the mine since Messrs Tennent and Hall inspected it, and therefore the working places are in the same condition as when left by the miners, and, I will leave it to Messrs Tennent' and Hall whether I have altered the conditions or not. Therefore I would urge upon Messrs Hickey and Pritchard to accept this challenge, and. have this matter cleared up. I will not correspond with anyone on this matter, but will leave this challenge open for three days from the date of the pub_catian of said .challenge, and if at the expiration of that" time it is hot accepted, by. Messrs Hickey and Pritchard, the publio of New Zealand will then see.that the. statements made by them are false. In conclusion, I might state that ILcould not allow the above statements to go by unchallenged, as they are ruinous to my reputation, and thus, in the words of Shakespeare, •He who steals my purse steals trash. . ". but he who filches from mc my good name, robs mc of that which not enriches but leaves mc poor indeed.' It is the greatest treasure any person possesses." N. '