Miners' Phthisis

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 243, 13 October 1915, Page 2

Miners' Phthisis

DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT

Tiw Mii Mrs" Phthisis Bill wa? before the House of Representative?'- ou Sep. j 29. A good fight was put up by the j Social Democrats against the i-sut_- j ciency or" its provision's.. Mi. P. C. Webb (.member for Grey) quoted Dr. Conlon, oi Resftoti, as to the nature of the disease. Taey had ir ou tin? authority oi Dr. Conlon that this nvublf is a. matter <>t accident, aud is caused thiough iiihulhig particles oi quartz which lodged • in tho lungs. In the course ot time! these panicles gradually penetrated [ the lubLi. leading to bleeding, and then '„' for year? the miner was gradually J spitting himself away in the stivers. - It was a positive sou roe of danger to | the health of the community that men I suffering from miners' phthisis should j be walking about sufferiug _rr.ni.. this J disease, which was liable to develop: into consumption, and vo be irans- t mined to others. Dwelling ou the i snfi'eriny,- of the weu who are victim* | of the disease, Mr. Webb .said that if j our gold-miiiing. industry 'must existonly 'at the sacrifice ox driving Jam- j id reds of men into prematura graves. , -and forcing hundreds of widow* to live,, -.lon*, -sad. weary, and precarious Vivos, ■iiheii it, was a thousand''times better , !-.ho mines should be eloped-down alio- i igetber.' in most, ease's -the disease was • j iiiiito preventable. ' ' . ' | 'J'he contention of the men is t-his-.j (snid tli" nn'iii'ier for Grey)'-. 'That.: minors* philips bein- on "accident j on.ht vo bo compensated for in ihe; .-nine way as other accidents arc dealt ; with. For instance, 'if a man is work-, in- in a mine and meets with an acei- j deiu iif gets half-pay and compensation for the time lt«i is off work. If the man is killed tho widow can claim up to J:50() under the AVorkers* Coui!|»"iisaiion Act.. Wo allow iho miner (sult'oring from miners" disease 125.. Cd. j a week. It is -jiiiie true this has in-] Leased from 12>. Gd. io il for mar-| ' ried men. and from 12s. Cd. to I'is. j iior. single men. Under the preseut. I Act or lobulations if a miner die?, his ; fvidow can only claim I'-jO'. : This 'phthisis is a long. .slow, lingering disease. It incapacitates a man Tor-year? 'before he really dies, and all h* .can. i receive for himself, his wife, and family' lis 12s. Cd. a week. A large number ! of miners have been appealing.and appealing in vain to rb* ■ Minister 'of Mines to set-that paltry 12s. Gd. a '.week, and'they have been: unable to do so. '_■'-,' Tiie -old-mining' industry iv thisecunirv turned out- bullion last year to iho value of .-.1,1-34._'14.. and last year i"2?5..000 was paid out i'u dividend? by m'uiiug; companies-■ The iiidnsvry has produced over £52.000,000 in this c-oun-•t-ry. and it has for year?- employed from four, to five thousand., men., hi ;ihe early days when immigration was most important to this colony- it prov;ed the most attractive source, of eraiployment. But. unfortunately, one I result of this industry has been ■many line men have eon traded miners' !complaint, with the result that their : lasi years are passed in sufferiug- and wanr. I have vUited mtiuy of these mine? ■in the company ot men who have been : underground for the first time in their 'lives, and with hardly an exception they have said to mc, "If you gave ;ine £o a shift, 1 would not work doivri. put of the sunshine iv.those hot hells.'-' if tho Premier t-nd, members of. the 'Cabinet would go down the mines and sco how the men work and live, they would appreciate more fully tho value ■of the miners of this country; and you would be prepared to give : them ■more than £1. a week when they were

The -old-mining' industry iv thisccunirv turned out- bullion last year to iho value oi* .-.1,1-34._'14.. and last year i":?S..OOG «.'3s paid out in dividend? by m'ui-iu-j; companies-■ The ■itidh>vry has produced over £52.000.000 in this coun--tty. and it has i'<>r year?- employed lioni four, to five thousand., men, hi ;ihe early days whon immigration was most import ant to this colony- it provied the most attractive source, of eraiploymciu. But. unfortunately, one ! result 01 this industry has been that | many line m*>n have contracted miner*' !complaint, willi iho result that their : ln?i years are passed in sufferiug- and wanr. I have visited mauy oi these mine? ■in the company ot men who have been : underground for the first time in their 'lives, and with hardly an exception they have said to mc, "If you gave ;me £5 a- shift, 1 would not work dowri. put- of the sunshine iu'.those hot hells.'-' if tho Premier i-nd, members of.the 'Cabinet would go down the mines and sco how the men work and live, they would appreciate more fully the value ■of the miners ol this country; and you would be prepared to give : them •more than £1. a week when they were disabled and beyond hope of recovery. Then we know that a- good portion of ! this money must 30 ior medicine, at least, os. or 6s. a week.

' There are men in xhi? House 'who will vote agaiiifr. any proposal-to -d'vance this rata of pjy, • -'-'•I tbey VcuU not go down a mine to- wort 'in it if they were to be given the foli lowing wec-k a- se-t in the - National Cabinet for the rest of.their lives.

• I want to- say there is more, bravery displayed in. the mines of the country in oue year than takes place on many battlefields. I am not making any invidious comparisons, L • know -there aro rases of bravery, where- men risk i their lives for their-country;,but these men risk their lives every-;, week for •their comrades and 1 ask what-return are wo goiug lo mako to.them, .when 'they are. stricken down, by- .this., dread ; disease ? We say £1 a week is all 'we aro prepared to 'give them, and jlhat when a mau dies his widow shall •receive J_?s. Cd. a week for two'years.

■ lv many cases ihe widow of a man 'who has .suffered from this complaint \i iv no position, to go our aud .battle for a living for herself.. Aud-in some case s - these women Lave children. I 'think these allowance? are not nearly ; sufficient. Now, in connection with I tho soldiers at the front,, we have ; agreed to pay them £1 15s. a week. It is quite true a, number of honourable members oi the. House honestly I believed that £1 •'?. ' would be sufficient, for these young men who aie ! wounded at the front; but the majority jot-tie House thou3.hr quite otheiwi-e, 'and we agreed to pay vkerii £1 a I week. Now,. 1 honestly thiuk that the -soldier of industry-who has'no possible ;hope oi recovery ought to be entitled ■to the same consideration as the men • who are going to the front at the , pivsent xime. 1 am not reflecting in

: any way upon the men .who'are going |to tbe front. I should like to pay them, more;'but I think all will agree . : witji roe thai this Kill doe* not g-.'----.nearly far enough. This Bill, 1 say : iu all seriousness to the .Minister of ; Mines IS NOTHING BUT ,_T INSULT !T0 IHE .MINERS. There is nothing '•»~ ia it. We i_QW suite ffftll -b*t

Webb's Protest against Fusion Bill

even'a pension of £1 is net sufilc'ent; then, how is a man going to livo ou los. a week when he has to'--pay out of it so much for medicine and clothe himself;'