HOMELAND MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 November 1929, Page 7

HOMELAND MINERS

GOVT. PROPOSALS ACCEPTED. (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) z - ~ LONDON, November 8. The Miners’ Delegate Conference, after a lengthy debate, accepted the general principles of the Government’s coal plan, with the stipulation that they still are “adhering to their previous decisions relating to the reduction of hours, and the complete reorganisation of the industry, including a national agreement.” The resolution added that the Executive, in conjunction with the miners’ representatives in the House of Commons, should continue their efforts to improve the Cabinet’s plan. An emergency meeting in the evening decided that, in view of the attitude of the coal owners (who refused to enter a joint conference) the miners should proceed immediately with the drafting of a Bill on the lines of their own proposals, and should rush it through both Houses before Christmas, even if an all night sitting should be necessary. ' -> TOO MANY ACCIDENTS. LONDON, November 8. In the House of Commons, Mr Gordon MacDonald (Labour) tabled a motion deploring the large number of accidents in the coal mines, and demanding an inquiry. Sir S. Samuel supported the motion. He produced statistics Which showed that out of 10.0 men working for a lifetime in the mines, say for 40 years, four would be killed, 18would be. seriously injured, 16' would develop nystagmus, and 1G would develop synovitis. he said, over half of the miners would suffer death or. serious, accident or 1 illness, He admitted there had been, a great improvement in, the' safety in mines from explosives, from which the death rate had been reduced' 1 by ninetenths in the past half century ; but the position of the other types of accidents was unsatisfactory. The motion was carried.