BETTER SAFETY LAMPS.

Grey River Argus, 24 July 1923, Page 4

BETTER SAFETY LAMPS.

lhe need for more efficient lamps being supplied to coal miners in New Zealand, and to West Coast miners in particular, has often been demonstrated, and at yesterday's inquest as to tho death of Andrew Baker, who was kill•ed by a fall of coal, in tho Morgan Seam of the Liverpool Colliery last Thursday, the I r nion’s 'representative drew tho attention of the Coroner (Mr W. Mold rum) to the possibility that deceased’s lamp might have gone out, and thus lessened his chances of escape. He stated that the slightest jerk or movement caused these lamps to go out, and that in some cases, when the lights were loft hanging to the roof, they died out. In proof of this, the president of the Union (Mr Thomas Feary), produced a safety lamp, which when the Coroner raised it swiftly, but without jerking it, went out. “About 12 months ago, the management of the State Mine promised to got some more efficient lamps than those at present in us?, but until lately nothing has been done. Some electric lamps have now been secured, however, and are being given a trial, but no miner in the safety lamp area has yet been given tho advantage of using them. Electric lamps have been in use in mines in other parts of the world for a long time past, and it seems that not until the miners take action will the more efficient lamp bo ’nil roduei'd to general use. About 12 months ago the minors al Dubley mine, N.S.W., struck for better lamps, and only wont back to work’ when tho management agreed to purchase- 1000 lamps inside a month, for use in the mine. The ordinary safety lamp at present in use gives a three-quarter candle power light only and, with its liability to go out, is anything but efficient or even safe. In the case before the Coroner’s court yesterday the evidence showed that the deceased, Baker, and his working mate had three lamps, of which, one wont out. As it was impossible io relight it in that, part of the mine, the men continued to work with two lamps. At tho time of tho fall of coal, Baker was'pn his own, and had the light of but a single lamp, so it may safely be surmised from the usual behaviour of such lamps, that any hurried movement on his part would have caused the lamp to go out, and leave him in darkness. Under such conditions his chances of escape would be. lessened by 99 per cent. It is high time that the management took steps to have a supply oi efficient lamps purchased and issued to the men. Surely it is not too much to ask for them!