REFERENCE TO MINERS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26122, 26 May 1950, Page 8

REFERENCE TO MINERS

OBJECTION TO STATEMENT (New Zealand Press Association) GREYMOUTH, May 25. The secretary of the New Zealand United Mine Workers (Mr F. Crook) objected to-day to a statement made at the Dunedin mining conference by Mr C. J. Strongman (Superintendent of State Mines) that miners were more concerned with monetary returns than safety and the economic working of the mines. Mr Crook said Mr Strongman had attended many conferences between the United' Mine Workers and the Mines Department to discuss conditions, but had never intimated that miners were more concerned with monetary returns than safety and economic working. The best way to prevent co-opera-tion between workers and officials at any mine was to make statements such as was reported at Dunedin, Mr Crook said. Perhaps Mr Strongman was speaking of an isolated case discussed in Runanga during the visit of the Minister of Mines (Mr W. Sullivan) last March, when Mr Strongman raised the question of the “dip” being held up because of working conditions and a dispute over hours. At that meeting the union representative had said that if a dog were tied in that dip for one hour the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals could have the person responsible charged with cruelty. The employers were requesting the miners to work five hours in that place, when in other mines in similar circumstances a fourhour shift would be worked.

Mr Crook said the matter would be considered further when representatives of the United Mine Workers and mine owners met in Wellington in about three weeks.