Russian Criticises Safety In Mines

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30137, 22 May 1963, Page 15

Russian Criticises Safety In Mines

(Front Our Own Reporter)

GREYMOUTH, May 21.

‘‘ln all frankness questions of safety* in New Zealand coal mines are solved in a way which is worse than in a Soviet mine. In the Strongman mine we walked, along headings in which endless ropes were operating. This is strictly forbidden in the Soviet Union,” Mr Anatole Semenov, secretary of the Soviet Coalminers’ Union, which has a membership of two million, said in Greymouth yesterday.

In company with Messrs Geni Konontchouk and Andri Gurnov. Mr Semenov speni wo days n the Grey Valley irea in toe course of a tour if New Zealand.

Mr Semenov commented hat the lighting of Soviet mines was much oet’er that hat he had seen here ano here was also less water in the mines I" the Soviet thr transport of miners tn head ,ngs was >y covered cars There was no need for the *nmers to bend when the rope ■ame low.

“We nave not a single mini with such a bath-house as we <aw yesterday." he con inued. “Trade union inspec ions and sanitary inspections would never permit miners •o undress and leave dirty tlothes with’clean clothes A’ ■soviet mines everv under ground worker carries a selfrescue apparatus which allows him. in the case jt fire to leave the mine or to go to a heading where then is fresh air. This would help any miner.” Mr Semenov also said that he miners here worked oarder than they did in Russia. The mechanisation oi Soviet mines mean* that ’here was nr need for such hard labour as they had watched here. Although tht working conditions were harder geologically the mines were much better here thar they were in the Soviet. Minute Output

The 700 tons of coal a day produced by the Strongman

mine was minute compared with Russian coal mines, which produced 20.000 tons a day, said Mr Semenov, in Christchurch last night. Russia was building open-cut mines which would produce 200.000 tons a day. Poor coal production in New Zealand mines, was largely due to the poor mechanisation. In the Soviet Union, said Mr Semenov, the extraction of coal combined the machine that cut the coal and loaded it on to a conveyor. On the coal face, chain conveyors were used. At the driveways belts were used to run 'he coal out. Mr Konontchouk is a mine team leader from the Kuzbas coal field in Siberia. His 90-man team, he said, held the world record for coal production. The team had produced 76 000 tons of coal in a month. As a reward ‘hey received double-ps Mr Ournov. the interpreter, said their nine-day New Zealand tour, would finish on May 27, when they would leave by air for Moscow via Australia. They had already spent two ceeks touring Aus‘ralian mines. Productivity in Austrian mines, where there was much mechanisa-

tion, compared favourably in productivity with Russian or American mines. The Russian miners were guest* of the central council of the United Mine Workers of New Zealand.