UNDERGROUND WORKERS BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 264, 31 July 1908, Page 9

UNDERGROUND WORKERS BILL.

STATEMENT BY THE HON. MR. "GUIN- ■ «. . ' " NESS. , " Speaking to a Dominion reporter, tho Hon* A. 11. Guinness ,(Sp_ea.ker of tho House of Representatives) said that' his object in bringing -. in the Hours : of Underground Workers Bill was to give effect to tho eight hours bank-to-bank clause, of which .ho was tho original author in tho Mining Act and Coalmines Act, as first introduced, though' the clause was rcndored.non-effectivo through amendments that - woro mado by tho Legislative . Council. It--.therefore seemed to him advisablo .to perfect tho measure by'having oight hours bank-to-bank clearly defined and by having a definite amount of. time' for, a meal during those eight hours fixed by, law. This latter-point constituted ono of the prin-. cipal .reasons for introducing the Bill, .as tho .duration of the meal time was not at present defined either for coalmines, or goldmines, ;and had been.a cause..of,trouble at Denniston and Blackball. Ha considered it very necessary, to liavo tho crib-timo .defined,-, in this ;.way by statute, instead of: leaving, it to be fixed by employers and employees or by the Arbitration Court. ; "I was' aware,continued Mr. Guinness, "that tho Prorhior stated x at Wdstport, when.he went there to settle tho : Dennis ton dispute, .that ho Would briiig in a Bill to make the bank-to-hank clause effective in regard to coalmines. Some weeks of the session wentby, and tho Bill did not appear, and, it was not intended, so far as I knew'to apply to goldmines, nor to underground workings' other than coal-, mines. I, therefore,-considered it my duty to bring' in a Bill, so that in case tho Govt eminent Bill did not appear,' or was slaughtered with'the'innoconts, my Bill might liavo a chance. ~ . ' s ,', , ' , ■ ■';■"./ ■■■

•"I could'not understand tho -indignation of somo, members about ciauso threo, which prohibits tho Arbitration' Court making an award on this subject.. The Arbitration Act' already .forbids tho Supremo Court arid Appeal Court to review or'alter, an award of the "Arbitration Court, and if Parliament, whicli is tlio. paramount can restrict tho two highest Courts of tho'land in'that way, I .do not see why it should not limit the powers of the, Arbitration Court." ; , Mr. Guinness : added that lie was pleased with the reception of his Bill by the H6us.e. He also pointed-out that it would apply to stiph works as tho Arthur's Pass Tunnel, where tho ; men would, aftoi-'a'time,'have to travel two or moro miles to their work. • Ho' was, however, prepared to amend tho Bill 60 as'to exempt contracts entered .into before its passage. ' - ■ •