THE TRADES CONFERENCE

Evening Star, Issue 12163, 6 April 1904, Page 1

THE TRADES CONFERENCE

At yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Trades and Labor Conference tie following resolutions were carded: 8 —Local Government. ■ , “That the Government be urged to introduce a Municipal Franchise Reform Act to provide that the parliamentary fraachisa shall apply to all elections of loid bodies - that every elector be entitled to vote on afl questions submitted to a poll/’ “ That the law be amended to provide for the election by popular vote of all charitable aid, harbor, and road boards, and county councils.” “That the Counties Act be amended—(l) by making the qualification to vote ‘residential’ for all adult persons over the age of twenty-one years; (2) bv the abolition of plural voting; (3) that ridings, counties, or divisions of districts for the election of members of local bodies be abolished; (4) that the chairmen of all local bodies be appointed by the electors.” —The Referendum.— u That the Government be urged to inteoduce legislation providing for a Referendum with the Initiative in the hands of the people.” —Mining LegislationWith regard to mining, the Conference passed the following series of resolutions c ‘ (1) That all mines' be ventilated by fans; that fans be kept continually at work. (2) That the Mining and Coal Mines Acta be amended to provide that mine managers should acquaint check inspectors immediately an accident occurs in or about any mine. (5) That the Mining and Coal Mines Acts be amended to provide that all wages be paid at the mine mouth. (4) That the Mining and Coal Mines Acts be amended to provide that before deputies or shift bosses are appointed in any mine they shall have at least five years’ practical experience in underground work, with a thorough knowledge of timbering, ventilation and gases. (5) That where safety lamps are used mine owners should nrovidc a proper gas-tester, so that each miner should test his lamp before entering the mine. (6) That the Coal Mine Acts should be 'amended to provide that all coal rainy; should be drained where practicable bv water drives. (7) That the Government laurged to provide that ail travelling rotes m and out of coal mines bo saparate from all main haulage roads, and should bo la-nr, in proper repair. (6) That the G-3vcrr.meofc should again be urged to provide that old workings in coal mines should not bo smIM up (except in old working:- wksro fire? existbut that a stesdy current cf air shall be ccntir-.ually eirenbiing thro nidi such old -workings. (9) That it should Is provided in all coal mines that 9ft should be the maximum width for breaking a.way bords; that such boras should' be° driven ovds at that width, and shock! net be more than 10ft in height. (10) lint epai mine stoppings should be brick or crib legging j that where manholes are required sir roughs should be put in. (II) PJiat tdai c 4 subsection 46, of the Coal Minos Act, .•ind ■ 8 of the Mining Act Amandm'nt Act. 1500, be amended by providing that the words ‘at their own cost ’ bt struck out, and (hat the words ‘ at the coat of the Government’ be inserted. (12) That the Government be urged to amend the 0-oal Mines and Mining Acts to provide that the number of men (including truckers) that a deputy or shift boss shall have charge of in any shift, shall be decided by the mine manager and miners’ union in the district where the mine is situated, and in the event of the parties not agretinr - the Inspector of Mines for the district decide the matter on the evidence. (jA) That the Coal Mines Act should be ac,.-;;:-fkxl to provide that in a rise headings should he not more than sCyds apart — that is to sjv. (lie pillars between headings to bs 59yds thick, and the slits in pikars not to be more than 25yds apart. (14) That the Coal Miners’ Sick and Acdtk nt Relief Fund be consolidated and converted into a colonial fund for the benefit of all coal miners in. the colony. {ls) < That the Government be urged to provide'that fans should be kept continually working whether the mines be working or not (16) Thai the Government should be urged to impose a royalty on every ounce of gold produced" in the colony for the purpose of providing a sick fund for gold miners. (17! That no blasting material should be permitted to be used in any mine unless the Inspector of Explosives has certified that it is the best from a health point of view that can be procured in the market. (18) That no rockdrilling machines should be permitted to be used in any mine unless a jet of water is at all times provided to keep doun the dust. (19) That the Government should he requested to subsidise a coal miners’ medical fund for natural deaths, as well as for accidental deaths.”