Grey River Argus THURSDAY, October 4, 1934. NEW HOPE FOR THE QUARTZ MINER.

Grey River Argus, 4 October 1934, Page 4

Grey River Argus THURSDAY, October 4, 1934. NEW HOPE FOR THE QUARTZ MINER.

The quartz-mining industry, destined as it appears still to expand in New Zealand, is destined also in all probability to have associated with it more notably than any other name that of the Hon. Mark Fagan, lie it was particularly who led the first movement over a quarter of a century ago to minimise, if not prevent, the dread fate then, and unfortunately yet. awaiting the men whose labour makes possible that very remunerative industry. It is therefore very noteworthy that lie should to-day be foremost in maintaining the effort to mitigate in the most humane and effective way the consequences of that occupational disease, pneumoconiosis, or miner’s phthisis. The Bill which he has brought forward has indeed given the Legislative Council an opportunity for once at least to set the popular chamber a humanitarian lead, and bears every evidence of proving a final solution of what had appeared an insurmountable problem. Confessing that the hopes which he and the miners formerly reposed in the use of miler for drilling have not been realised at all in the event, the disease remaining as inevitable as ever. Mr Fagan now.has formulated a scheme that gives every reasonable prospect both of meeting the needs of the victims, and directing the efforts of all interested toward the more important object of banishing the scourge entirely from the industry in the course of time. Mr Fagan is unquestionably right in classifying miner’s phthisis as an industrial accident, his apt argument thereon when yesterday moving the second reading of his Bill being quite unanswerable. Admitting | the persistent ignorance as to its actual cause, there is no question that the cause, inheres entirely in the occupation or the environment of the industry. That the effect is gradual, rather Ilian sudden, does not alter its accidental character. Quoting the very latest statement, he demonstrated that quarz mining is causing such accidents in a degree that casualties iu no other Dominion occupation anywise equal. Mr Fagan has demonstrated the urgency for a radical alteration of the means to cope with the menace. Experience has shown that, short of being bold financially responsible for the consequences of quartzmining upon their employees, those whose capital is involved will not face, what is obviously their moral obligation. Citing South Africa, it is shown that there the State does lay upon the employers this responsibility, and it is also pointed out that New Zealand, after being the first to

regard the scourge in its true) light, has since lagged behind even other important quartz-min-ing country in countering it. It is a logical distinction which is drawn between quartz ami other forms of gold mining when the Dill excludes such expedients as a general gold tax to provide compensation, because this particular accident is peculiar to the

one phase of the industry. It is doubtless due to his lengthy experience in the matter and his insight into the problem that. Mr Fagan has devised a scheme which will serve as an ideal counterpart of such remedial legislation as obtains already. The plan to invest the, compensation so as to preserve standard pay as long as possible is a commendable one. whilst the underlying assumption that compensation shall be as for complete disability when the disease is developed is fully warranted by experience. In according

the measure the second reading with unanimity, the Legislative Councillors obviously recognised that their colleague is the man most qualified in the Dominion to give a lead on the subject. The Government is 10-day disposed to encourage mining development, and to make easy the path oi capitalists who will participat* in it. with an eye to profitable returns for their money. The counterpart of that policy should certainly be one for lhe protection of the lives of the workers without whose labour mining development would be an impossibility. This Bill has come forward at a most opportune time. It is safe to say any critic will be found careful not to deny the fairness of its principle, and there should be. therefore, no great lapse of time until it is carried into effect. Even then, it will not be the employer who lakes the real risk, but the miner, and the surest, if not Ihe only, way of making the employer face the risk is to induce him to assist financially anil otherwise in doing away with the risk altogether.