MINERS’ CONDITIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 July 1944, Page 4

MINERS’ CONDITIONS

SEVEN-HOUR DAY PLAN. The intention of introducing legislation during the coming session of Parliament to give the coal miner a seven hour bank-to-bank working day was announced by the Minister of Mines (Mr. Webb) when speaking at the reception to the overseas Parliamentary delegation in Greymouth last.evening. “Eight hours is too long to spend underground—the miner is a human being after all,” said the Minister. “I propose to bring down a Bill for a seven hour bank-to-bank da The Minister said he wanted the miner to get the advantage of the open-cut policy in the direction oi reduced hours, and he considered the savings effected by the new scheme would be sufficient to enable that reduction to be given. It was in the interests of the whole community tnac the miner be better treated to give better results. He hoped that before long all the problems would be solved. The electrical machinery of the Dominion had, since the war began, increased its consumption of coal by 800 per cent. Mr. Webb said he believed the miners of the Dominion stood out far ahead of those elsewhere in the United 1 Nations so far as production per head was concerned. Their troubles were -infinitesimal. The industry had lost 500 men to the war and the importation of 100,000 tons of coal for retorts from Australia had also been lost. Since the war had broken out the Dominion had set new records in each succeeding year, last year’s output being 100,000 tons up. It was amazing how few men had been guilty of absenteeism. The Minister said it was the State s policy to extract every extractable, ton of coal without the sacrifice oi human life. He was very pi’pud of the miners. Apart from the, Waikato dispute there had not been a serious major strike. There may have been a cold bath house or a row between themselves, but that was a domestic matter. He wanted to see the miners provided with decent amenities, ano he had spent thousands of pounds on cottages for them, equal to the best in any suburb. At Mangapehi £9OOO was being spent on a hostel —-‘equal

to the Hotel Waterloo, Wellington—and £lO,OOO on a hall replete with four billiard tables and a picture out; fit He was pleased to announce thm in the Waikato open-cut methods were producing 200 tons a day from 20 men, and believed such methods would be greatly expanded. The Under-Secretary oi Mmes (M:., Benney), in the course of his speech, referred to the aspect of miners accepting greater responsibility in the industry after the war on the managerial side. A great responsibility rested on the miners’ leaders throughout the Dominion, and he sometimes doubted if they realised that fact. Greater responsibility shown to-day would be reflected in the miners obtaining the certainty of managerial responsibility, but that could not hap; pen without individual capacity lor responsibility to-day. There had been no "occasion that he was aware oi where, since the war had begun, there had been justification for one day s stoppage on a coalfield. BRITISH MINERS’ EXAMPLE. Mr. F. Collindridge, Labour M.P. for Barnsley in the British Parliament and former Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister ol Mines, himself a miner till six years ago, who was one of the guests at the function, spoke in very definite terms of the response presented to Hie challenge for war production m Britain. They had had a bad spin after the last war, the number oi. miners employed having fallen from 1 250,000 to 780.000 at the start of the war and below 700,000 at the time of Dunkirk, due in the latter case to the draw-off by other industries. No new mines had been sunk and the men had had to travel long distances. But the miners of Britain had. from the very day Fascism had reared its ugly head, morally and vocally protested against it —from the time of Mussolini’s march on Rome and Hitler’s seizure of power. They had had no doubts that they would range themselves by men of goodwill. In 1940 Mr. Churchill had formed his Government, and while the party to which he belonged differed with its policy politically from that of the miners they knew full well that no other leader could have so rallied Britain in her darkest hour. In June, 1940, Mr. Churchill had called on the nation to defend itself, in the streets, fields, and hills, and the workers within seven days had rallied a million and a quarter strong into the Home Guard. The miners, with others, were compulsorily enlisted for these and firewatching duties for 48 hours a month, the “others” including women aged 18-60 without children under 14. They were absent from duty only if they were ill. If, said Mr. Collindridge, the miners before the war condemned Mussolini and Hitler, surely now was not a time for words but deeds. Dunkirk and other similar incidents had been due not to lack of courage but of tools with which to do the job. In time of disaster there was ho questioning whether mines were private or State-owned, or of conditions —all rushed to succour those in danger. To-day, similarly, the help of everyone was needed. Surely, in ah conscience, there could be no question of deterrents to production arising in the industry. The call was to get on with the job and forget individual differences.

Mr. Collindridge said he could see in New Zealand machinery existing that in all conscience could settle any differences. If, with trivial grievances, they were using the strike weapon it would not be in their own best interests—its effect would be shown in time to come. It was not merely words but deeds that would bring victory. They must stand shoulder to shoulder, not for their own sakes, but for those yet to come. LIVERPOOL MINE DISPUTE The Liverpool State mine, which was expected to resume production |to-day after being idle for two days because of overheating in the Morgan section, did not work. It is understood that no question of safety in the mine is involved, the check inspectors having reported that the sealingoff of the affected section had been performed in a satisfactory manner. This report was presented to the Union, this morning, when the men arrived for work, but apparently a difference of opinion arose. It is stated that one group held a discussion | at the bath house, and another met! at the pit mouth, neither agreeing to confer with the other. Eventually the | men all returned home. b : The Minister of Mines (Mr. Webb) i was informed of the incident before I he left Greymouth, this morning- for a tour of mining areas, but he did not pass any comment. | There is no indication as to whether . the mine will resume work to-mor- • row. Normally cavils would have been drawn to-day, and even if the mine does resume to-morrow there is little prospect of much work being performed this week, which includes “back Saturday.” Every dav’s idleness means the loss of about 500 tons of coal, which is chiefly in demand for the gasworks.