SAFETY IN MINES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 840, 11 June 1910, Page 5

SAFETY IN MINES

PROVISION FOR RESCUE WORK. REPLY TO KEIR. HARDIE. Bj TeleEraDh-l'rcss Association-Copyright ! London, Juno 9. Tho Homo Secretary, Jlr. Winston Churchill, discussed with representatives of the Minos. Association'prospective legislation for the establishment of a rescue station at. every considerable mine, aiul the provision of rescue appnrntus. The Association representatives rcforrod to Mr. Iveir Hardie's recent speccli relating to' tho Whitehaven disaster. Mr. Churchill said Mr. Hardie's statement was cruel and disgraceful, and lie greatly regretted tint a member of tho House of Commons should have uttered such a cruel aspersion. [Speaking at Pontypridd, Wales, on Slay 25, Mr. Keir Hardie, Labour M.P., was reported by cable to have said that "during the last fortnight he had been sick at heart at the mawkish sentimentality displayed. He could sympathise with the widow and family of a dead King, but his sympathy was equally keen with the widows and families of the victims of tho Whitehaven colliery disaster. . In his opinion, as a miner, walls should have been builr to extinguish the fire in the colliery while the victims were still alive. Ho was sick, therefore, at tho mummery shown at the, death of one man. while those others wcro uncared for."] „ ' FIRE IN A BOTTLE-NECK. A SECOND EGRESS WANTED. (Rec. June 10, 10.15 p.m.) London, June 10. With' regard' to the Whitehaven disaster, Mr. Keir Hardie adheres to his j statement that, in all probability, when it was decided to ivall up the mine, the entombed miners were still alive. What his speech more particularly emphasised was that- tliere would have been no disaster had the spirit of the Mines Regulation Act been -observed. The fire occurred in a bottle-neck which was the only means of egress, and beyond -the ncck tho workings branch off in fivo main levels. It would, he says, have been easy to construct a safety road thence to the pit shaft. This especially is what, in Mr. Keir • Hardie's opinion, , requires investigation. ■ ■■