BUS FOR MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1942, Page 8

BUS FOR MINERS

[TO THE EDITOR.] Sir, —I wish to reply to clarify, and correct the statements of Mr English in his correspondence regarding the shortage of transport to the James and Strongman mines, thereby resulting in the Greymouth miners going home, as the result of a previous mass meeting. The Transport Department sanctioned the running ol two of my buses from Greymouth under hire to Mr Wylde,'and as the buses had to travel to Runanga station empty to pick up the miners, it was decided to convey the miners direct from Greymouth to save transfer at Runanga. These arrangements were to continue only till such time as Mr Wylde’s bus, which was under repair, was running again,, when the miners were to revert to the train a.' before. However, when the replacement was effected, one of my buses had to travel out of Runanga to meet the train, and as the bus would be travelling empty the men were told that at 7.35 a.m. the usual time, one bus could continue to carry Grey miners, which, according to the driver’s average over the previous fortnight, would have been quite sufficient. But on the morning of June 16 the one bus proved insufficient, as for reasons unknown twelve additional miners turned up for work, taxing the seating capacity of the bus. Tl'jis left the alternative, either the extra miners should stand as far as Runanga, or wait for another bus. A discussion among several of the men resulted in a refusal to stand. The driver suggested getting another bus from Runanga by 7.10, so they got out of the bus to hold a kerbside meeting, which terminated by tneii’ refusing to wait for this bus, and by sending one of their members to telephone Mr Guy. The driver suggested getting my other bus, a matter of a quarter of an hour, but it was decided by this time, 7.10, that it was too late to leave for work, but it was 8 o’clock before the driver left to take the bus back to the garage and they were still there. As the carriage of the miners was no business of mine, only as hirer to Mr Wylde, Mr Guy’s telephone call to me was misplaced, for my information required regarding transport of miners, must come from Mr Wylde, or his employees, on whose authority only could I put on another bus for miners. I will close, and suggest that future clarification should come from the Transport Authority direct.—Yours, etc., S. A. COBURN.