THE COAL MINES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 84, 6 October 1922, Page 5

THE COAL MINES

AMENDING BILL PASSED

ATTITUDE TOWARDS CO-OPERA.

TIVE PARTIES

SOMETHING ABOUT BOLSHEVIKS.

The coal-mining industry and the the administration of the Coal Mines Act were discussed by the Legislative Council yesterday when the Coal Mines Amendment Bill was under consideration. There were some interesting references to the Government's attitude towards co-operative parties. The Hon. W. H. M'lntyre described the measure as a splendid one in all respects. He congratulated the Minister of Mines on his administration of the Mines Department, which was now practically free of red tape. Much credit was undoubtedly due to Mr. Kimbell, the Under-Secretary, who was a most capable officer—one of the most capable officers in the Civil Service, He expressed the hope that the Railway Department would purchase all its coal in New Zealand, and so keep the mines open. Every day a mine was closed it meant a serious loss of revenue to the Railway Department, especially on the West Coast. On a recent occasion the Millerton Mine was closed for a week, and as its output of 1200 tons of coal per day was sent over the Westport line, there must have been a great loss •in revenue to the Railway Department. The mines were closed because there were no orders.

RESCUE BRIGADES WANTED.

Mr. M'lntyre regretted that provision had not been made for the installation of rescue apparatus in mining districts. In New Zealand there had been seven mine explosions, and the loss of 144 lives. Mining history showed that very little was done for the safety of mines until after a big disaster. In England the establishment of "a rescue brigade was stipulated for. Those brigades were ready at a moment's notice. It was also necessary to provide breathing apparatus sufficient for a man to live for one hour in an unhealthy atmosphere. Birds or white mice were also kept for the purpose of discovering the presence of ca*bon dioxide gas. In New Zealand each district should be thoroughly equipped. The chief cause of explosions was the lack of proper ventilation. Mr. M'lntyre expressed the opinion that no coal mining company should. be permitted to.issue a prospectus unless it was endorsed by the Mines Department. Owing to the lack of confidence displayed in a mining prospectus, investments had fallen considerably, and the development of the mining industry Tiad suffered in 'consequence. It should be made compulsory that every prospectus should be submitted to the Government for its appnval.. Gold mining was a gamble in any case, but the public should be assured that there .was a reasonable^ prospect of seeing a! return from, investments.

The Hon. W. J. Geddis reminded the Council that there was a time not long ago when New Zealand coal was not available. Any reproach should not be upon the Government, but upon the miners, who, by their go-slow tactics, strikes, and other irritating methods, had caused a serious shortage of coal for both the railways and the industries.

CO-OPERATIVE MINING.

„The Hon. H. L. Michel praised the work of the co-operative miners, and expressed . a fear that the Government might discourage co-operative parties in the future. If there were a large number of co-operative .parties it would be impossible for the Alliance of Labour or any other body to hold up the coal supply. The extension of the co-operative system would remove many of the difficulties now existing, and co-operative parties should be encouraged. The State should lease to co-operative bodies 10 to 20 acres of the vast coal reserves on the West Coast. The tendency at the present time was to refuse small areas to co-operative workers, and that was to be deeply regretted. He thought that' those who engineered mining troubles in the past had learnt their great lesson—that the Dominion would not be paralysed because the miners refused to hew coal.

x The Hon. A. F. Hawke congratulated the Minister of Mines on hi3 proposals to check speculation in mining leases. However, he did not think the clause went far enough.

AN ANSWEE WANTED.

.The Hon. J. Barr asserted that the serious statement'to the effect- that the Government was. discouraging co-opera-tive workers called for an answer from tie Government. , Referring to the un-' rest : of the miners,.: he alleged that the wretched housing in some of the mining districts was one of the root causes; there must be something radically wrong with the management of the State mine3, too, for they were the centre of the unrest. He roundly condemned the go-slow policy and those who preached it, and said that the great body of the miners was Tiot responsible , for the diaffection displayed in the past. The Hon. W. Earnshaw said that there was absolutely no evidence that the Department or the Government discouraged -co-operative workers. Everything pointed to the fact that there had Deen encouragement and not discouragement. If the Government refused to allow small co-operative parties to pick the eyes out; of the coal fields, he could quite understand its attitude./

POLICY ONE OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

Th« Leader of the Council (the Hon. Sir William Fraser) said that while he was Minister of Mines he gave to cooperative workers every encouragement. He believed that that policy had been continued. Very often people asked for what was unreasonable, and, in refusing the application, the Minister was quite within his rights. The Hori. H. L. Michel, in reply to Sir William Fraser, announced that he had seen two letters, one from,the Minister dated 20th September last, which was certainly discouraging in its tone. Sir William Fraser said that if the point had been raised in Committee, he was sure that the answer from the head of the Department wbuld have been cmite satisfactory. Sir William scouted the idea that the Government should endorse a prospectus issued by a coalmining company.. ,The woposal was an impossible one. He felt sure that the Government's ' importations of coal had taught the miners a lesson which they would not soon forget.

ABOUT BOLSHEVIKS.

When the Bill was in Committee, the Hon. J. Barr suggested that there should be a register containing the names, ages, and places of birth of all men employed _in and about mines, instead of confining the provision to those under twenty-one yeais of age, as provided for in clause 18 of the Bill. "If I were a mine manager, I would secure the birth-place\of every worker," he said, "and I would have his record, too." A member: "To see if you had any Bolsheviks?" ' The Hon. J. Barr: "That is what I am driving at. I would get rid of the Bolsheviks," The fcliutoter wjd tha.t' the clutws only

referred to employees under twenty-one. Th» clause was designed to have some check on the age of men placed in charge of portions of the mine. Tho Hon. J. Barr moved to strike out the works "under tho age of twen-ty-one. 1' Th<s Minister said h« eould not accept the'amendment. It would defeat the whole purpose of the clause. The Hon. W. H. M'lntyre explained that the object of registering the place of birth was to verify the age given,

The clause wa3 not altered,

Tile Standing Orders having been suspended, the Bill was put- through all stages and passed without amendment