MATCHES IN MINE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19086, 23 August 1927, Page 9

MATCHES IN MINE.

DOBSON MINERS BEFORE COURT (SPECIAL TP Tan FBKSS.) GREYMOHTH, August 22. On the information of Mr J,' Hughes, manager of the Grey Valley Collieries Ltd,, three miners employed at the Dobson Mine appeared at the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., on charges in connexion with the safety of the mine. The informant was represented by Mr J. \V. Hainan.

The first defendant called w j. Blanche, who was charged that- °o August 4th ho had in his •possession a cigarette in a part of tho minewhere safety lamps were used. He pleaded guilty. • ' Mr Hannan stated that the information was laid under Section 85 of the Coal Mines Act. The manager was satisfied, lie said, that the offence was not a deliberate one, and a heavy penalty was hot asked for. The cigarette was a very old tyutt. There was no suggestion of any intention ofsmoking. • # Defendant said that the cigarette l butt had got into, his clothes by aocir dent,,and he did not know it was there. He had no matches and could not have smoked the cigarfette even had he wanted, tp. He was convicted *■ and ordered to pav £1; lis costs. ' _ Alexander Russell and Mathias William Naylor Sheldon were _ each charged with being in possession of matches while in the Dobson Mine,

Mr Hannan said that the circumstances .were thq same as in the previous cases. j. - A qpnviction was entered against each defendant.- Eussell was ordered to pay £ll2s costs, and Sheldon $2 4s costs. -J