MINERS' RELIEF FUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 896, 16 August 1910, Page 8

MINERS' RELIEF FUNDS.

/AMENDING LEGISLATIONS . . ■.-.•.■■ • rEOMISED. -,: r, ; -'i ■■■■•.■' \ : . Commenting, on the Coal-miners'■ Belief ■' Fund in his anriuai 'statement the :Min-ister-for\Mines says/'that after , the pass-' ing .of "the -.Workers'-Compensation -Act > ■ , extrnq'nlinsrj legul technicalities'or complications arose. ■ which . actually trans-.' l'en-ed thn'vbeccfih of this Accident. Kβ- •■ . ". lief Fund from the miners, and' their ' ■'. : t'uiniilic-s -to the accident insurance. com- '. ■-.:' pauies' taking miners' risks; and where 1 irimurß'.wero" insured 1 by. tlioir employers--:' against accident the amount they "were : . Rtititlnd to -under the Minors' Belief : .Vund «u deducted from the amount ' they were entitled to under the Workers' . . Compensation Act,.-with- the result , that the insuring company derived the full ■ benefit of the "Minors'. Relief Fund. Par- .; liameht last session legislated to prevent/;" a continuuuee of'this .injustice;'but the clauso dealing with the nnjtter was.found .. f.o be inoperative. It is proposed to sub- ' niit amending' legislation on this point : - this session. .-■■■.■■; . • ' •.--.:■■ ; The Coal-miners'r Reliof . Fund .- was .'.: iiriginally instituted by. '.Parliament, .and : made a charge-on .the-produce of the , mine where the: minor was employed, as.. . ■m insurance fundi against the ..dangerius -nature ■of his- employment; ,it is now' somewhat- of an anomaly that by, (subsequent legislation the-miner and-his Family should Bo' deprived of the reliefwhich was formerly provided against tho (huigerous nature of his calling,' tu ■ the ■ , benefit or an .accident insurance com-, paiiy. ■ ;V ■■• - : ,■■■'■'."'■■ ''■ ■■' . During the' present session the Sun- : .ister proposes to .submit legislation pro-, vidinst an Accident Relief Fund to miners working in ■quarte-minw, nnd 'also bu mining-dredgers. The conditions, of employment and liability to accident in, .' quartz-mines are, the Minister-, contends, at least ■as objectionable and daugoronj as in coal-mines, -and.accidents on rdn-. ing-dredgers are more numerous Xht.n in any other - class of ■ mining in this' country. . This fund -vill be nia'ntaitiod • by. a small charce: "n the bullion-pro-duction of the qnartr.-mines and dredgers operating in• tho Dominion. • ■■.' ■ . '