WELLINGTON NOTES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 138, 12 June 1896, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

■ i'V 'l'l^j^j^m;s^e^oMM One of/tne cohßequw^otkrisileli^f-i;^ last year's Mining Act .was^to'giyVlnoifii-'^ '';'- --poliata enornio'tia privilegesaa to'fciMdSd^'^ "£ areas., Tbatbilf wa^caUeaftneiiZiman' '^ Mming Bill. It proWdedrttet/dnemah'iv^oould take up-Tincf hold no less thWaihe ' ; S square mUes of. country/ MrZimanaywl«l'--i"^<-himself of the advantages given him byT '"'> the enactment made on his beha'f -by : *B& -•''"' "' Seddon, and took np the nine miles in his ='■'•■''■' own name, and another three in the name' f- ' ''• of hisagent.MrCaplee. He also purchased: some working mines,; and has «vena: . notice of reduotiou, in wages from'£3'to : £2 10s per week, . and the miners hive ' ' ■ struck. Having worked in', those mines ' myself I can stat» what the conditionaare ' under which men labour. In the first place an underground - miner is a - skilled : workman. Any navyy who ban use'a pick, and shovel can perform the work necessary in an alluvial claim ; but reefing is a very - different thing. The chief requisite 1 !* a ' knowledge of timbering the ground; A miner must know bow to get his timber * . and put it in position, and that includes' a knowledge of work of very much the nature of a bridge-builder or a ship, wnght. Frequently the placing of this timber is attended with considerable risk in weak or rotten country, T>n there is the unhealthy nature of the work through inlinling dynamite fumes. This, in places where there is no ventilation, is deadly work, and not one man in twenty who goes into hospital from this cause comes out alive. There are the extra cost of living, andthe risks of accidents from many baoses not known to open air workers. Frequent efforts were made to lower wages, but the f aot that the miners themselves were mostly shareholders prevented the rednotion. Now that monopolists have the mines the natural consequences follow. The working miners live under conditions whion would be scorned by the ordinary artisan la the towns. It is one dull round of work day and night ; the only relief being the arrival of the packer onoe, or perhaps twiie, a week with perhaps a letter or newspaper a :ortnight old. Idle time means eithe/itay* ing lathe hut or going to town, whidh U only one degree livelier and much more e*. pensive. There is precious little attraction about reefing, a minimum of oomfori, and no mental or phyßioal enjoyment whatever. Mr Seddon at the Skating hihik. The Premier's meeting was a very flat affair. There were about 1600 present, a Jarße proportion being Government offioials. A oiroular had been freely distributed during the day, of which the Wring is» copy (amended and abridged) of questions put to the Premier ; — . First : As to Finance. When were the accounts for the Maroh quarter returned from the Audit Office? Were the annual accounts sent to the Audit Department during the month of April, as required by law f , You told Parliament: "I have made myself acquainted with the details of the contract," meaning the bargain for the purchase of the Colonial Bank, Was this statement correct ? Has not our interest oharge increased oh an average" by £30,000 a yeiTr since 1803 ? Has not the public debt been increased by four and a half millions during your term of ofhce ? , Is not our liability on account of the ' banking legislation five and a quarter millions more ? . Second; As to Administration. Have you appointed cadets and others contrary to the Civil Service Aot ? How many settlers are really residing on the land out of the 140,000 said to have been put there by Mr John MoK enzie Was your friend Mr Hogg correct in his description of the administration of the Lands Department? Was he justified in declaring the Advances to Settlers Department ' ' rank abortion "/ As Premier, are you master or servant of Inspector Gordon, of the Mines Department, who is still a Government official ? As Attorney for tha the Anglo-German {syndicate, is Inspector Gordon your chief on the Advisory Board } »« A V. Minister of Minea did y° ur colleague, Mr Cadman, endeavour to destroy the tenure of mining leases at Tairua, which were granted by his department t you three, who control the Mines Department, have you not squeezed the working miners ont of their legal . rights ! 8 What services do you perform for the German Syndicate t" " • . This made the attendance much larcor than it otherwise would have been In tha expectation of Mr Seddon alluding to tha questions, but he was silent. The mover of a vote of confidence could not get a heating, but courageously made vehement gesticulations for ten minutes Abuut4o hands were held up for and against, but the great bulk of ihe people refrained from signifying an opinion, ihe only humorous lfaciiieut wa» about 10 minutes before the dose of Mr Seddon'B harangue, when his colieague Mr McKenzie, was talked to sleep and loud wits of ," Wake up ! " brought him back to his senses with a start/as if be had at 'last succeeded in bagginp a dummy. ' Altogether Mr Seddon bad belter have retrained from meeting a Wellington audience. 6