MINERS AND DISEASE

Evening Star, Issue 15915, 22 September 1915, Page 6

MINERS AND DISEASE

BETTER COMPENSATION URGED. LEGISLATION TOHE INTRODUCED. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON. September 22. _ A disease as formidable as its name is pnemoconiosis, or miner's complaint, which has several times this session been discussed by tho House of Representatives. Yesterday afternoon it was once more referred to, the discussion arising out of tho report of the Minos Committee on now regulations presented by the Minister of Mines CHon W. D. S. MacDonuld). Mr Payne urged an improvement generally in miners' cordi+ions. Mr Poland protested that the amount paid as compensation in cases in which miners died of miner's complaint was utterly inadequate. Ho pointed out that the compensation provided under the Workers' Compensation Act in the case of death was £SOO, as against £SO paid when a man died of miner's complaint. He urged better conditions for the miners, and considered that when the temperature in a mine exceeded POdog men should not be allowed to work for more than six hours a day. Medical men should be appointed to see that the men worked under healthy and proper conditions. The Government should bring down a measure to provide adequate compensation . Mr Isitt said it was an absolute scandal that nothing had been done after the matter had been discussed for so many years. Members should see before the session closed that something was done. "° Mr Anderson said lie was astonished that something better had not been done. He urged the Government to deal comprehensively with the matter in the shape of invalidity pensions. Mr Poole supported Mr Anderson's proposal. He sincerely trusted that the representations made that day would not fall on deaf ears. Mr W. H. Field also supported the idea of invalidity pensions, to cover all people who were crippled through working in any of the industries of the country. Dr Thacker pleaded that in addition tothe soldiers at the front the "industrial soldiers " should he looked after, and the present, when a National Cabinet was in existence, was nn opportune time for dealing with such a matter. He suggested that tho scheme should be linked up with the National Provident Fund. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald CMinister of Mines), in reply, said that he was sure that all the men engaged in the industry were satisfied that considerable improvements had been made in_ the mining regulations. As regards miner's complaint, anyone who had followed the industry up would know that there had been creat improvement in the conditions. With reference to compensation, a Rill was being brought down this session providing for compensation at so much a week, to be poid out of the Consolidated Fund. He agreed that some better system of medical inspection was necessary. Mr Scott (chairman of the Mines Committee) also replied. He said that the Mines Committee always had in view the welfare of the miners, and under the present conditions in the quartz mines it was now hardly possible, for a man to contract miner's disease, j Under the now regulations it would not | be possible for a man to work ir> a temperature of ":ore or less than 80deg for more than six hours. I