CRISIS AT THE MINES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 400, 8 January 1909, Page 6

CRISIS AT THE MINES.

GOVERNMENT'S POSITION.

DEFINED BY PRIME MINISTER,

THE TEST NO INDIGNITY,

The .Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) has sent the following telegram to Mr.' R. Semplo, -president of the Miners' Federation, lteefton:—.

1 "First: The Government has obtained legal advice upon the points of law, and since receipt , of the same, tho whole matter has been reconsidered by the Government Accident Insurance Department. The Department reports' that it is,unable to accept the unknown responsibility involved in the proposal to insure miners'' without medical examination.- ;'

"Second:. Tho Government Accident Insurance Department points out tliat a preliminary medical' examination effectually .'avoids all. trouble, and that the miner who gets a clean bill of health establishes, ipso .facto, his claim to compensation within the : statutory, limits in tho event of his being . subsequently incapacitated. The Department; also directs attention to the fact that it"• is quite impossible at the present .time for. miners in; any part of the world to get their lives, insured for. £500 .at death (the benefit! provided under the Workers' Compensation law), without medical examination, to see whether they aTe free from phthisis or any other disease,: and that a similar course is necessary in the case of applications to join friendly societies; and, further, there is : no more of indignity involved in miners being asked to'submit themselves to medical/.examination than in the cases referred' to; i ' - ' ' -■'

■■ "Third: ! would suggest for the considera- ; f tion' of • the miners that they, agree to medical examination, provided it is carried out by the Government medical officers, such medi- ' cal examination'.: to be for pneumoconiosis •only'; - V''; •' ■ - ■- " Fourth : The only other course that suggests itself .is that pneumoconiosis should, be 'struck, out of. the legislation altogether at 'the next ,meeting of Parliament.. .' y "Fifth: Steps are being taken' to have the interpretation. of .Clause 10, defined by the ■Supreme Court under the Declaratory Judg- ' |monts Act of last 'session, and on receipt of : |this, tho matter' will be further considered., ' 'in order to meet the position if the judgment ' -given enables the Government to do so." ; ' POLICE AT REEFTON. A PROTEST . AND AN\ ANSWER. . : ' -' The Prime -Minister .sent yeslWayJthe.fo]- ' ; lowing telegram, to the Hon. 'A. R. .Guinness,; :M.P., whoTiad wired'hiui protesting 'against' ;the'massing of-police at Reefton as/S reflec--,tion oni'the'.character-of the miners':— , , i. . "Your telegram: re* suggested massing 'of.jpolico'constables at Reefton; I find upon in- : jgiiiry. from the Justice Department, that'this' is not'correct.. You "state that sixteen constables'are'proceeding to Reefton. I am advised'-by the, Department that, seven constables 'were, at the request of ; the .'mine-.-' i owners,' told off for special ■ duty at the bftt•'teries; .-'namely, one to each, and., that the same number of constables, namely seven, •wero sent to replaco thoso thus removed ;from 'their ordinary duty.. This, is a' matter 'of .'the'ordinary administration of the .police, dt was hbt directed.by the Minister in. charge ior •by-the Government, and there iS no. reflection "either "directly' or indirectly, upon' the iminers. for- whom I also-entertain, the highest ;6piriion,' and -would'not be a party to reflecting upon-them in any way." SERIOUS POSITION ,OF NORTHERN COLLIERIES. ' DEPENDENT INDUSTRIES AFFECTED. ' ; (EI, TELECEAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION;) j-jj Auckland, January -7. ■ ! At a conference of coal-mine'owners 'to--day, it was resolved to send the.-, following -telegram to tho Prime 'Minister . andtho .-Minister for Mines:—"At a' meeting ,of' direc;tors of all coal companies in 'Auckland pro-ivincß,"-held' 'it ,-was resolved-- to'! in-, timato .to you that;. unless tho r Qov^rnment. 'promptly intervenes in the matter of tho existing; trouble .with tho minersj./thp'-, whole :'of • tho m'ines. must - remain Valid., must [suffer,; irreparable, injury, .resulting -in'.great financial loss .to the community, generally. "Already large orders for .Newcastle coal ,have, gone forward. Many industries' dependent, iipon coal supplies.,are. seriously; affected. A.' Ilargo, portion of 'the, qoastal fleet' is.-already, ■laid ! up. and - tho, hands; have .been",discharged. The '.position.is critical." .7/ .'.'.', .-'. [It is.riotiSMin.our Finance andrCommerce 'column.thati the:pumping plant of'the.Waihi' mine, is idle, through shortness of-.coal.] UNIONISTS SEEK CO-OPERATION, ' (BT TELBOBAPn—PRFSa. '(l-iOCIATION.) - , AucklantV January 7. ' 'Tho' "Star's" .'Huntly;correspondent,wires: 1 Federation is'; cabling .to .-Newcnstlo.''urging iunionists to'-'stop supplies, of coal for New Zealand. .The companies are . !also, arranging for. a conference N of unions at. ; Auckland," with': a view to stopping' the unloadine; of imported ooal. It is .stated' that 'there is a : probability of the southern coalbiing called, out'in'sympathy with 'the northern coalminei's. , There is a deter-, minatibu not to submit/to medical 'examina-. tion. ■The 'Waikafco Miners' Union has de- ' -cided to cite tbo compaiiy'for creating a lock-out,.and-having, failed, to give requisite notice." ' • " -.