INANGAHUA MINERS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1934, Page 12

INANGAHUA MINERS.

[TO THE EDITOR.] Sir, —Allow me space to let the public know' what some of the workers think about this dispute, even if we are only five per cent., and we are credited -with being influenced by Mr E. W. Spencer, the Managing Director of the Blackwater Mines, Ltd., who has the honour as they say to buzz over us and be the big blue fly, and who succeeded in getting five per cent, of the workers to his views. It is a pity that there are not more of the big blue flies with the same power to provide 15/- to 23/- per day and no broken, time, paid wet or fine. No otheiytown can claim less poverty. All over the country we read of depression and collections and our own M.P.’s crying out to the Government to do some unnecessary work for the relief of our unemployed fellows. How will some of our Waiuta workers feel if it comes to it that they have to go prospecting in the far-away gullies for 15/- to 30/- a week and what they can find? I guess one winter, and they will be back to the big blue fly and jump at the despised ballot, whether it shall be 30/- a week in the gullies under an S x 10 lly or a comfortable hut—and 15/- to 20/- a day at Waiuta. The answer will be 90 per cent. Yes in favour of the latter. Then there will be no more talk about swatting him.

I hold nothing against our President, Mr Gordon Ward, or with Mr E. W. Spencer, the managing-director, and if the Company win a good profit from our labour, they are entitled to it. I always find the more money won by the gold mining company the more they spend. They gamble away in the hope even if the mine doesn’t pay, and Blackwater did this, and’ the £1 shares you could get for 2/-, but wc were kept going and no one got less than 15/- a day. Other industries that did not pay closed up shop. Mr Paddy Webb and Mr Jim O’Brien are to be congratulated in going off to collect money for us, but I do hope they are not making a levy from poor unfortunates who may be earning less than ourselves, and the poorest people are as a rule the best at paying the levies, and do it with such good will. We have now had’ two months in this dispute and we are all the worse off for it.

Jim and Paddy formed the Brian Born Dredging Company, and it is a better paying concern. I learned yesterday that average wages were not near as good as the Blackwater Company. Inconsistency may be the refuge of fools. Why should 95 per cent, of our Waiuta workers be fools? Yours, etc., WORKER. Waiuta, May 16.