COLOMBO PLAN STUDENTS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 5

COLOMBO PLAN STUDENTS

Mining Training Criticised

(New Zealand Press Association) GREYMOUTH, October 3. New allegations about their training at New Zealand's first underground mining school at Rapahoe, were made today by six Burmese Colombo Plan students at Greymouth. through one of their number. Ba Cho. Ba Cho claimed that their training at the school had been “incomplete.” and “unsatisfactory,” and that for most of their 14 weeks’ course, they had been engaged on the erection of temporary and permanent stoppings. The students claimed that even though their timetable specified rescue training once a fortnight, they had received none until the morning of the day on which they received initial passing-out certificates.

Since leaving the school, said Ba Cho. they had worked solely as truckers at the Liverpool. Strongman and Wallsend State collieries on truckers’ contract rates.

Ba Cho said the students' initial certificates said they had received three weeks’ practical training at the coal face. They |jad received no such instruction. Photographs published in the magazine “Coal” showed the students attending demonstrations and lectures on coal-cutting machines. and in the use of Proto iKine's rescue breathing) apparatus. These pictures, said Ba Cho. had been posed. They had received no training in the subjects He claimed the tools for the six Burmese and three West Coast students had been insufficient, “in the eleventh or twelfth week we received a saw." he said. When these and other allegations were referred to Greymouth's senior inspector of mines. Mr J. Penman, he said he had no comment to make.