TIMBER WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 244, 9 July 1921, Page 8

TIMBER WORKERS

REQUESTS TO MINISTERS INSPECTION OF MACHINERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ALLEGED A deputation representing tho conference of tho Timber Workers' Federation placed various matters before the Actingj’rimo Minister (Sir Francis Bell) and the Minister of Public Works (lion. J. G. Coates) yesterday. Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., introduced tho delegates. Mr. H. Hunter, secretary of the conference, asked first for amendment of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act by ths removal of tho provision for a ballot of the members of the union 'before a dispute could lie filed with the Arbitration Court. Tho law required that a portal ballot should be taken after a. decision had been reached by a. meeting of the union. Another request was that federations of workers should be allowed to apply for Dominion awards. Tho .Drivers’ Federation had recently made a complete agreement with the employers, but this agreement could not be converted into a Dominion award. The various drivers’ unions had to file claims and set all the machinery of the Act into operation in tho different districts in order to give effect to the agreement. This meant expense and loss of time. The conference had adopted a resolution in favour of tho establishment of a school of forestry bv Christchurch. Mr. John Read presented a request for a M-honr week. He suggested that New Zealand was falling behind other countries in industrial legislation. The Government ought to be seeking to keep theDominion in tho lend. A 44-hour week had been generally adopted by important industries in Britain. Sir Francis Bell: What is the usual week here? . , , • Mr. Read said that some industries had tho 44-hour week. But other industries worked longer houre. The dairy industrv worked up to 70 hours in tho season. "Tho timber workers believed that tho shorter week should be universal. He believed Hint times would be worse 'before they were better, and that shorter working hours would assist to relieve the unemployment, difficulty. With mud io workers’ compensation, the conference asked that all medical, surgical, and hospital expenses should be fcife the worker who was injured m t course of his occupation. Mr. Read proceeded to complain tl I the taw relating to inspection of maI chinerv was not being effectively i istered. It appeared that each inspector was allowed to make his own taHon of the law as far as eff « ct ’ s e charge” of boilers and engines vas con cerned. A former Minister had laid down a definite interpretahon and ha! ruled that a man must not absent h.inself from his engine. But the rulouas now very loose. Men nominally in charge of machinery, particularly in the dairy industry, were often employed away from the engines, and this practice mvob ed serioul danger. The 1914 Act W made easier the issue of P f '™ lts to wns who did not hold certificates, and ithe Department, owing to shortage of i staff, was not taking steps to call m old delegates presented a remit requiring all employers to insure against claims for compensation to w^ ker "' suggested imprisonment, as the penalty fo■ tailure to insure, since it happened remetimro that an ininsured employer machines within six W t\he reduce the number of accidents birt the erder had been suspended owing to difficulty in securing the new P The delegates asked also for improved accommodation for timber workers and for the appointment of workers intpec tors io nXipany the inspectors. This was allowed m the mining industry, which was not as d«hgLrous as the timber industry. Bush tramways and bridges were not being sufficiently safeguarded. Accidents were frequent, and the intention of the law was not being fulfillejU Proper inspection was required. The timber workers on the West Coast did not consider that tha regulations were being enforced properly, and they wished to have full inquiry made. Some of the inspectors seemed to be acting in the interests of the employers. They asked also for the provision of baths and drying rooms at bush sawmills. There would be no great cost involved, since steam was available in the plants. Timber workers were wet through alxmt four days ovt of five, and had to go to their honies in their wet working clothes. The provision of accommodation tor married men at sawmills was another request presented, by the deputation. One speaker had seen recently a man with his wife and four children living in an Bby 10ft. hut. Other requests made by the conference were for tho establishment of a State bank, Stats mines, State steamero, and various other State services. Sir Francis Bell, in reply, undertook i to consider the matters that had been mentioned. Ho agreed that machinery should be efficiently inspected by efficient inspectors, and that the first consideration should be the safety of human life. He was glad to hear flic views of the workers on many of tjiq points mentioned, because in such matters .the workers’ organisations could give assistance to the Government. The suggestions would receive sympathetic consideration.

The Hon. J. G. Coates, referring to bush tramwaya, said ho had given definite instructions to district inspectors that they were to have competent inspectors available to visit at once any tramway regarding which complaint was made. If the. unions askeq for an inspection, it ought to lx» made at once. Inspections were not mode unless they were asked for. He would inquire regarding cases mentioned by the deputation where ft delay of more than a month had occurred before inspections were made.