SEARCHING MINERS

Evening Star, Issue 12819, 9 December 1907, Page 6

SEARCHING MINERS

■ —<• STRIKE RATHER TITAN SUBMIT. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE. December 9. (Received December 9, at 10.7 a.m.) The miners at the Virginia mine, Bendigo, I in. w struck against signing an agreement providing for searching them. [ 1 h' l 'Argus’ recently wrote :—To search it nuiivr when ho 1 togiivs or work. v ‘V° n suspirmn Him he or mm of hks follow* -il'i? IlliJllLlj s. to lon jiold. is. iuy put some indignity upon (he occupation to which he Lcloime, and even some indignity upon him*’■l). A great exercise of philo.sophy i« required on die part of any man of sturdy independence before he can overcome Ins natural inclination to revolt against it. :’t the directors of Bendigo mines, who reluctantly insist on men ’ncing tie-arched, are confessedly face to faco with a perplexing problem. There Ls abundant evidence that among thousands of miners there are oonio who steal gold where opportunity is offered, and find no ditiiculty whatever in welling it whan it has been" stolen. Bendigo. according to a metaphor used some inn,' ago liv Senator M'CoJI. is " honevcombeil with gold-buyers. Uiiinesc carry on the business, hotel keepers purchase cold, ■'Whcr inrai go about Inlying it. 'J’iio yxdice (Stipi'rintpnik'nt N.-iinMimT reported) luvo minors i.o a :;old-bnvro’'o piaco Utf hue tit' liny o clock 111 tile morning. So diiTtttors feel dial .some decided clop is required. But with ail sympathy with direc-l-nr.s. most men will feel that the searching of the miners—the method of the policeman with tile pickpocket —is a method so uiide.sir.thle that A should lie used only in the hurt resort. It is in (lie facility with yhich gold can be ■ old that (he chief evil lies. The receiver in this cnee is worse titan the thief, for he tit the more deliberate l and calculating criminal. The isuuest wav to .stop gold-stealing, and to save the men from the necessity of protesting against ueatmeiii which they (not lieing ;i 11 j,)iilo sopheitj.) cannot undergo without some feeling- of slmmo, i.s to Btnnip out illicit ur>iclikying wit.li the iitmwl. dolcnniiialioii.]