COAL MINES BILL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 304, 23 November 1937, Page 9

COAL MINES BILL.

IMPORTANT PROVISIONS. MINISTER CONGRATULATED. Per Fress Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 22. The Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb), moving in the House of Representatives to-day the committal of the Coal Mines Amendment Bill, which was read the second time pro forma on November 3, said one of the provisions of the measure would give inspectors the right to have mines worked in such a manner as to ensure the safety of miners and also to exploit the mines to their fullest capacity and extract from them every ton of coal recoverable without unnecessary risk to the lives of miners. Both the coalowners’ and miners’ representatives had agreed to the jirovisions concerned being included in the Bill. One of the new provisions would give power to insist upon companies building houses for their miners, or contributing towards the cost of transporting miners from their own homes to the mines. Speaking of the problem of slack coni, the Minister reiterated the statement he had made on the'occasion of the first reading of the Bill, that lie ' did not wish to bring in legislation forcibly to deal with the matter. It had been satisfactorily set! led in the Waikato, and the Bill would give the Minister power to call a conference in Southland to reach a method of solution of the difficulty there. With the passage of the Bill New Zealand would have the best mining laws in the world. Even without it,, our mining legislation was better than that of any other country. The Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) congratulated Mr Webb on the Bill and stated that the clatise in the measure providing for the exami-

nation of eyesight and hearing of gasteskers at regular intervals should have been placed on the Statute Book of this country many years ago. The provision of plans of underground Workings was most essential. They bad lost some 50_ per cent, of the coal available in mines, the reason for the great percentage of this loss being the lack of proper underground planning. They should get 70 to 80 per cent, of the coal in mines in some areas if plans were properly carried out. Another welcome point in this measure was the lifting of the age of boys entering mines from JL4 to 16 years and also the raising of the age of mine managers. The Bill also , dealt with prevention of accumulation of coal dust in mines, a most essential provision in preventing danger from explosions. UNION SECRETARIES’ POWERS. Mr W. A. Bodkin said it could be generally conceded that the Bill Avas a good one, but he objected to the clause giving union secretaries powers to ascertain from employers the hours worked by miners and the Avages paid them. Tin's information should only be provided by the man himself. Mr Webb: The secretary of the union is empowered to get that information under the present Act. Mr W. P. Endean urged for the greater co-operation by miners with mineoAvners, and asked the Minister Avhat progress had been made with the investigation of a means of extracting petrol from coal. Both Mr W. J. Broadfoot and the Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton) congratulated the Minister on the Bill, the latter stating it Avas a step in the right direction. He congratulated Mr Webb on the administration of his department. The Mmister had consulted both parties concerned before bringing in the Bill, anci the result could be supported by the Opposition. 1 The Minister, in rejfiy, snid the work of extraction of oil from coal was still in the experimental stages The Avork which had ‘been done, however, shoAved coal AA r as an enormous national asset, and in the not distant future thev would see a stampede tor coal in order to get oil from it. in the meantime the Waikato decarbonising plant Avas doing good Avork- He referred to the coalfields survey and sale it Avas being made so that they would know exactly what the coal resources of the Dominion were. Mr Webb thanked the Opposition for the fine reception it had given the Bill, which quickly passed the committee stages and also the third reading.