Round the Mining Camps

Grey River Argus, 25 June 1925, Page 6

Round the Mining Camps

st-.if Mines, Runanga.—According to some people State ownership of tiic mines should mean the most perf-‘<’. form of industrial relationship '•*. tween master, represented by the Bond holders, and the exploited slave. This theory does not work out according to schedule at the State Mines. where considerable hairsplitting and minor irritation is indulged in by the ‘‘Heads.’’ Al the present time we nave two cases in point that even the majority of private Company mana., gers would not come a!. No. I.— A pair of minors are splitting a pillar, aid befor- getting the full length break through the side into the bo rd below. This, the management here maintains. is Cue first split, and they have o deled tl. niiii to continue on with the place at pillar rates and no yard, age. although the place is only ten feel wide. The local Cnion have tak. en up this question with the management. who refuse to budge. The mat. ter has now been referred to the West (’oast Council to be dealt with. The second point relates to the (pies, t ion of timbering. In order to save expense, the Management have ordered the use of props, instead of sets, m pillar workings. Sets, of course, cos! 4s L\l; props nothing, life and limb being merely a secondary consideration. However, miners have been instructed to put up sets by the% Cnion wherever, in the opinion of the miners, the question of safety is involved. V e do not intend to delegate to any individual the light to state when a place is safe or not. The miner working the place i> the best judge. and we are not gc'ug to deviate from that principle. Air J. Connell was elected President of the .State Miners Cnion by a large majority, and .Mr J. Docherty Check Inspector a large majority. The 1” days per fortnight coal pro. during policy was endorsed by an o' whelming majority. Brunner and (trey A alley.—Matters are going along in the usual manner in this district, at the Dobson colliery. The miners find that it is impossible to make more than the minimum wage at the prevailing tonnage rates, and the general opinion is that, sooner or later, increased tonnage rates will have to be conceded.

Dips, and Dog-watch yardage rate, being a district question, has been referred to a general conference between representatives of the W.C. Miners’ Council and the coaLowners, which is to be held in Greymouth mi .July 11th. We had a wages dispute at Wallsend which was settled satisfactorily to the member involved. Voting here was overvv helnringly in favour of 10 days’ coal production per fort night. Roa. —As usual, we have had (-on. sideral.de friction here. Evidently the Management at this mine, Dam its very commencement as a coal ?-'o.i ! i< c”, have considered that, because the coal is easier to win than at the other mines, that the workers of Roa. should tolerate any conditions that the officials think suit the occasion. Hence we get more than our share of stopwork meetings, etc. 'Phis union unanimously carried the lt> days per fortnight policy. When a fellow has (limbed these hi I ** if days, he has had quite enough for one pay, unless he is a glutton altogether. Blackball.— r l’he Union and the Management here threatened to get into holds over the action of the Ch'i’ci. Inspectors in stopping some places that several of the miners considered dangerous. However, after several in'erviews between the Management ami the I'nion officials, things were tixed i:p satisfactorily. 1 A dispute which arose out of th-* action of the Management in <•>«••:ail. ing the coal supplies of employees, was tixed up after much argument. The company maintained the minimum load allowed was eight cwt. The Dis putt's Committee tixed the minim < c load at b> cwt with no increase in cost. As a result of an examination by Dr Telford, Inspector of Mines, Strongman. Inspector of Health. Russel], and the Secretary of the local Union, the following instructions have been given by the Health Department to the Blackball Coal Company relative to the Company’s “batch huts’’: 1. —That a wash-house containing a set-in copper and furnace be pro. vid('d: this wash-house to contain bath with proper fittings to enable men to wash when the mine is (dosed, and when the rain fall is excessive; this wash-house to be provided with two 400-gallon tanks: wasli.house to serve the occupants of every six batches. 2. —Huts to have windows of reasonable size placed in opposite walls, in order to allow of through ventilation. 3. —That modern pan-privy accommodation be provided. 4. —That hygienic food safes and cupboards be provided. 5. —That huts and tanks be regularly painted ■with paint or creosote. 6. —That the existing huts be placed in repair, and alterations made to I comply with these recommendations. 7. That each batch be provided with a drum with a covering lid in which to place refuse or garbage. | B.—That the Company employ an 1 (dd man to regularly empty privies and refuse drums; same to be buried in a ; sanitary manner. ! Needless to say, “if” these recommendations are carried out. batchers’ huts will be in demand. I Blackball Union took a mine-mouth ballot, on the ten days’ policy, and it gave it a very large majority for. Millerton. —The members of this I’nion, especially the colliers, arc dissatisfied with the loss of -t’d per ton occasioned by the introduction of electric lamps, which certainly have not enabled us to increase our tonns’tge sufficiently to- make up for the loss in wages. The local I’nion ami the West (’oast Miners Council are pressing for a conference on this subject, and the local Manager has referred the requests to his directors, who, if they are men of discernment, will place no obstacle in the way of 7i further discussion. 'l’he Millerton Aliners Union are attempting to organise all the workers in the industry into the one organisation. The local officials of the Engineers Union, however, are staunch craft-unionists. Hence, we have to secure Hie permission of their heads to address their branch. This permission has been applied for, and we soon hope to be able to convince our fellowworkers that “united you win,’’ “divided you starve!” The vote here on the 10 days per fortnight policy resulted in almost a block vote in favour. Efforts are being actively made to increase the circulation of the ‘ ‘ Argus. ’ ’ Denniston. —This Union scored a fine win over the withdrawal of the dismissal notices of two old comrades, who, in the Company’s opinion, were too old to be any longer useful profit producers. This writer ojiee heard the General Manager of the Westport Coal Company referring with evident pride to the Company’s solicitude for its old and trusted employees. Evidently, Mr FlaveH’s fine sentiments do not appeal to the cold business logic, of his fellow directors. The Denniston min. the are to be congratulated on their -tand in this matter. Messrs Whittle Hayes have been dealing energeti.

c.'illv with the quest ion of 100 per cent organisation, and we hope to be able to record complete success in the near future. No logical argument can be I put against a 100 per cent organisation ■ • the mining industry, the amazing part being that such an effort has got to be made to secure it. The Denniston t’nion vote on the 10 days’ policy has not yet been announced. Ngakawau. —'This t’nion desires to appreciate the magnificent way in which the West Coast Gliners t’nion assisted, both morally and financially, in our scraps with the bosses over the iuimum wage question and the substation hands dispute, which, we maintain, has resulted in a win for the slaves on all points, and complete ly justifies all our actions. 'The vote here on the 10 days’ policy was almost unanimous. AVe here would be ilelighted to have the opportunity Io work ten days. Six has been our average for some considerable time, so, as far as this company is concerned, they can view the ballot with equanimity!

Evidently the Stockton General Manager believes that the pen is Tnighticr than the sword, judging by the frequency with which he uses the columns of the “Argus.” However, we. have no objection to Master putting his side of the case in the work ers’ paper. It always is advisable to hear the two sides to every argument.

Reefton.—The Reefton coal miners have joined up with the West Coast Miners’ Council, and have appointed their Secretary. Mr D. McKanc, as their representative. In the past, the Reef ton miners have generally managed to secure West Coast wages without active participation in the struggle, but their latest decision means a reversal of that policy, and shows that the Reefton men stand for progression. I i k