STATE MINE IDLE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22196, 13 September 1937, Page 8

STATE MINE IDLE

Position Reviewed by Union Secretary REASONS FOR NOT WORKING "The men were not prepared to g» into the mine to work, one factor being that they would rather allow further time to elapse to enable the mine to be cleared of fumes and gases," said. Mr W. Pendlebury, secretary of the State Miners' Union, commenting on the miners refusing to work at the Liverpool mine last week. Another factor was the succession of stoppings, the men being anxious to see if the temporary stoppings were effective until the | permanent work was well under way. The union had had a number of its members, totalling more than 30, working at the mine during the whole of last week in the erection of permanent stoppings, sealing off the section where the fire occurred. The union check inspectors, with the mine management and officials, visited the scene of the fire on Sunday and on Monday. On Monday they spent nearly the whole of the day with the men engaged in the stopping work, and the officials, visiting various parts of the mine. On the Sunday night, after making that day s inspection, the union officials walked from Rewanui, and had announcements made requesting all union members who had assisted in the erection of the stoppings on the Friday to report for work on the Monday morning to assist in erecting the permanent stoppings and in sealing the section off. The union president and secretary took it on themselves to have the men back at work to do this job. A fannumber of men had been employed continuously on this work since the fire. Inspections had been made in the other sections of the mine, to ascertain if there was any danger likely The meeting of miners decided that they would not go back to work until they had heard the report of the inspections made on the Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday evening the union representatives reported to a meeting on the situation about the transport of the stopping material from the bins to the mine. Request for Outlet Drive At a subsequent meeting, the men expressed their feelings about a request made between three and four years ago, when the men asked for an outlet drive from the Morgan seam This was refused by the Mines Department which, instead, installed fireproof stoppings, stating that the drive was not considered necessary. The men working in the Morgan seam have to pass by the inlet to the Kimbell West section (the seat of the recent fire) to a place about a mile further on. In i doing so they feel they are walking into the neck of a bottle from which there could be no ! possible escape if further serious trouble were i to take place in the Kimbell West section, Mr ! Pendlebury said. -on i The Minister for Mines, the Hon. P. C. ! Webb had never been mentioned in any of ! the union's discussions, Mr Pendlebury said. 1 The union had, however, received through the I superintendent of the mine advice that the Minister has stated that every safety-first pre- ' caution must be taken, so that there should be I no loss of life in the State mines. The union i officials and union members had no personal I feelings of animosity towards Mr Webb. bo i far' as the State Miners' Union was con- ' cerned there had been no pin-pricking tactics 1 (safety or otherwise) adopted, and verification of this could be obtained from the Mines Department officials themselves. The union officials had given every assistance in the present unfortunate situation, and had co-oper-ated as far as had been possible with the Mines Department. Further inspections of "the mine were made on Saturday, and a report was presented to a union meeting yesterday. The Liverpool mine will resume work today, according to advice received at Greymouth yesterday.