The Mining Estimates

Maoriland Worker, Volume 4, Issue 139, 3 October 1913, Page 8

The Mining Estimates

THE DOC WATCH DISCUSSED AT CAPITAL'S CAPITOL.

By P. FRASER

What has been described by the Liberal Press as a "determined stonewall," an "effective blockade," a "strenuous fight," has, we are inform' ed been put up on the estimates by an Opposition, revitalised by its re-adop-tion of its cast-off leader. Now that the Liberal Japhet has searched for and adopted a father once more, it is making desperate efforts to convince a sceptical people that after all there ib some excuse for its existence. The method of doing this is by wasting the time of the House in a combat that is of absolutely not the slightest concern to the workers. Having been present during two or three hours of this farce I am strongly of the opinion that if the average worker caught even a glimpse of the absolute incompetency of the individuals now occupying the Treasury benches, and the hopeless mediocrity of the Opposition, there would be a sharp and speedy end to both of the Employers' Parties, and the honorable gentlemen, honorable gentlemen by Act of Parliament, in case the fact might be lost sight of, who hurl epithets of endearment such as "Orang-outang," across the floor at one another, and generally beliavo like very irreponsible and very obnoxious schoolboys, would be swallowed up in a merciful oblivion

I wish to bo quite frank. If any of our workingclass M.P.'s allow the environment of affected good fellowship which oozes out cf the average Tory and Liberal vote-hunting Parlitmentarian, the sacred ground of the private corridors, the aroma of a shilling cigar, the magical name of Bellamy's, or their dignity as Members of Parliament, and Labor ones, to obscure their class-conscious viewpoint, the sooner they .'.re relegated to the land of the Never Never, and saved from themselves, the better.

On Tuesday night of last week hour's were wasted over a peach, in connection with some Central Otago irrigation scheme, which was not discussed at all. On Friday night two hours or so, were spent in an animated discussion, seriously undertaken by apparently normally sane men as to whether tho word "irrelevant" was Used by the chairman; after which several Labor M.P.s grew almost pathetic in their plea for a larger salary for a Government statiscian, already in receipt of £400 a year. Now, a good statistician might well bo worth £4000 i>, year, if the demand exceeded the supply, but' the average navvy, with an average wage of 30s. or co per week, can hardly be expected to work up undue enthusiasm on tho quesion, A sense of proportion, if a sense of humor is too much to expect, would be the salvation of our representatives.

Into this atmosphere of hopeless fatuity on Friday night the speech of tho member for Grey on tbe Mining estimates like a refreshing breeze, a welcome relief from inanity. Tt was undoubtedly fat and away the lest speech of the evening. It dealt with the everyday life of the miners, the everyday tragedy enacted by the ravages of miners' complaint, the dog watch, inspection of mines, and things that vitally concern us. It throbbed with human interest, and breathed!the fire of revolt. Mr. Webb said that' he regretted that the Mines Report had not been made public. However, he would reserve criticism until a more important matter was before the House, namely, the Mines Bill. He sincerely trusted that when that Bill did come down that the recommendations of the Mines Commission would bo embodied. "He spoke as one with a practical experience, (having worked in most of the coal mines on the West Coast, also for a considerable time in gold mines. Two of the most iinpan-tant questions coniroiltiug it he miners were the sanitation and ventilation of the mines. The sanitary system in vogue in most mines was simply abominable, being of the most obsolete and primitive description. The question of ventilation, of course, was always a vital o.;e. In most quartz mlues the ventilation was extremely bad. There was not sufficientair shafts and fans. Practically all cases of miners' complaint were traceable to bad ventilation plus the evil contract system. Another point which must not be lost sight of was the nature of the explosives used in the mines. In the Reefton district, and in Waimate, the companies wore forcing the use of explosives to which the men were absolutely opposed, the fumes of which had forced many a miner to his bed. Many cases of sickness and racking vomiting fits, due directly to the use of these explosives, could 'be cited, and he trusted the Minister would take steps to prevent the companies treating men in such a fashion. Another question of vital importance was the dog watch, the three shift system in the mines. The j continuous working of three shifts gives no chance for tho bad air to clear, rendering the atmosphere per manently polluted. That was the cause of the recent strike at Blackball. The press and the lion, members of that House gave way to their wrath and indignation when miners (refused to work under abominable conditions, but ho ventured to s?y that if the bon members wore paid £5 per day to work with thei- lives in their hands deep down in the bowels of the earth in bad air' and under treacherous

roofs, they would also strike. TJnleo* Parliament Seriously grappled with thy situation and passed measures abolishing the dog-watch and granting six hours fro'n bank to bank, improving ventilation, modernising sanitation, erecting bath houses with hot and cold water, abolishing trucking by miners, and improving conditions generally, the miners would resort to industrial rebellion rather than" sub--mit to a state of affairs which ruius their health, and in many cases forces them to a premature grave Hofl. members complained of bad ventilation tf that House, but it was good compared to the disgraceful ventilation in which men were compelled to work eight hours per day in the mines. He regretted tho necessity for £1 being allocated for the victims of miners' complaint. If the mines were worked in anything liko a proper fashion thero would bo no necessity for such a fund. It would be much better to find methods of pre/entmg the contacting of this disease than even to mitigate and counteract its effects. Th* other day lie had met a man whose health was ruined, who had been reduced to a mere living skeleton. This man was looking for work on a farm, but he had been refused work by fanners because he had four ohildre-u What a hypocritical cry the need for increasing population was, and the demand for din* migrants was simply a scheme to flood the Labor market. Mr. Webb quoted the evidence given by Dr. Conlou, Reefton, before the Mines Commission. Good miners wont under the quickest. The great cause of the disease was the contracting system. It should be their first duty as public representatives to see that the industry was not carried on at ruch a cost of human life. It would only be just tc extead ths benefits of tbe Compensation Act to sufferers from this dread complaint. The more the miners suffered in this way the more ethers suffered. Whole families bud contracted the disease. The whole I thing was preventible, and it was a ! crime against humanity, as well as I against the miners, to allow these terrible ravages. The recent riots in Johannesburg were directly due to th* terrible being realised by the Miners on the Rard. (Here M*. Herries laughed, probably in ooimecv tion with some front bench roTfirki). Mr. Webb turned round and told, the Minister for Railways that although ho might laugh, it was no laughing matter to him He had seen some ot his mates, men just as big and strong as Mr. Herrich, struck dotfu by this destroyer.

In spuporting Wie motion of thf member for West-land, Mr. T. E. V, Seddon, to reduce the estimates as * protest against the dispensing with one of -flic mine inspectors Oil ibj' West Oast, Mr. Webb explained the system of inspection carried on ia Fiance, where the Workers appointed the workmen inspectors and the Gov ernment paid them. The minority of tho Mines Commission recommended that course for New Zealand. The mines were not half inspected, and the check inspectors were continually in danger of being victimiled. The patience of the miners of New Zealand was getting exhausted, and industrial warfare was inevitable if the House did not rise to a sense of its responsibility.

Mr Coivt'n, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Payne, Mr. Ell Mr. Isitt, Mr. Wilford, and .Mr. Rhodes gave general support to Mr. Webb's contentions, and the members for the mining constituencies expressed sympathy with the Blackball men in their recent fight for the abolition of the dog-watch.