Down South : As a Northern Woman Sees It.

Free Lance, Volume XIX, Issue 1029, 17 March 1920, Page 8

Down South : As a Northern Woman Sees It.

SEEING THE IVES T "COAST:. A VISIT 7 6 THE COAL MINES. By. NELLIE M.' SCANLAN.. ' [For the New Zealand Fbeb Lance.]

The Grey. '• 'v eREYMOUTH, or The Grey, as so many Coasters call it, is busy shipping coal from the mines which abound in that district'. The Grey is a finie, fullflowing river j with a bar at the mouth, along the side of which is a long water, frontage, faced by. shops and business premises. Passenger boats ceased to run to and from Greymouth two years ago, as the traffic apparently did not warrant the service, those who were travelling preferring to come in, by the side door, at Otira. Eows of little black trucks of coal stood on the wharf, which is fitted with patent cranes for shipping it. On the end of the crane is a square frame* set with hooks. It drops down, grips the coal truck, which is released from its baise, hoisted up. and over the vessel, where ■ the bottom / is opened and the coal falls into the , hold. Returning the truck to its base; the winch gives a turn, and the next truck comes into place and is similarly dealt with. , ' " ■» . , «• * * This endless shipping of coal, no doubt, has something to do with [the general air of dinginesa in Greymouth Town, added,, of course, to the" rain. Granted that it hais some very fine buildings—schools, churches, and one of the: largest steel and iron works in the Dominion, and many nice homes on the outskirts, the general impression isi that it is old, dingy, neglected and much in need of repairs and repainting. * V. ■ * ' * • ■ * - ■ \ Fence after fence 1 is minus battens, like missing teeth, while timber mills shriek in the distance. " We have so much rain, it rots the wood," you are told,: " and the rafn washes off the paint—and look at the price of it now!" The people are contentr—culpably content—for it is that " Divine discontent"- which has, the world over, proved a spur to achievement and progress. If we were all content with- things as they are, . '"the world, would stand still. . * . * * * The Coasters. The hospitality of the Coast is proverbial, it is undeniable. As a people they run neither to leanness nor meanness. What,they have, be it little or much, they will share with friend or stranger ; they are never too busy to be amiable—there is always a to-mor-row. There is a civic pride in some centres which breeds a rivalry between city and city, but on the Coast the spirit is different. * * * * It is more an. instructive " love of .country," not for her superiority over other districts, but because she is theirs, and their loving defence of her disabilities (due mostly to the rain) and deep affection for the Coast and all Coasters, their warmth and spontaneity, set them apart, no matter where you may fiind them, and form a bond which is indissoluble. A Coaster once; a Coaster for ever. # * * * The Coal Problem. One of the hardest things in life to nail. down is a fact. People wiU generalise. express their personal opinion, five the convictions of the woman next oor, and eventually a vague suggestion grows into a positive statement, but when you try to track it to its source, it is the most elusive thing. In Greymouth there appeared to be two camps—one for and one against the miner. In each case their statements were so coloured with prejudice that it was very hard to get any idea of the actual position in regard to the miners and their grievance, and the cause, or ultimate object, of the "so slow." " The miner is a chronically discontented man, and the more , you give him the more he will want. He can earn from 25/- to 30/- a day if he wants to, bufc he won't; and any man who gets that wage ought to be satisfied. If you gave him £o.'a day, he would still be dissatisfied." You are "told this on one hand, and part of the information is correct. Miners have been earning as much as 25/- to 30/- per day, but not all the miners, and not all the time. On the other hand vou meet this contention: "The miner gets from 2/4 to 2/10 for hewing a ton of coal, and up North you pay about £3 a ton for it. Who gets the difference? Someone is making a pretty big profit out

of the coal, and don't you think he is. entitled to a bit more for his work?" There is also much truth in this, which presents quite a different aspect of the ease. " Surely the miners are the greatest . sufferers by the "go slow;" they are reducing their own wages, and inflict- • ing hardships on their own families; they must have some. cause for taking up this attitude," I once ventured to say. -V..; ' 'fit's all very well for you to talk," said a Coaster. "You don't know the miner—you've "only been about, five minutes on the Coast. If you'd lived here all your life——" . " Have you ever been down a coal mine?", I asked. ; " Well ——no, I haven't," he replied. So I decided to make closer investiations, deeming it probable that in an hcrar Vunder the/ground I might learn more of the actual conditions of the miners . than it seemed possible to acquire during a life-time above ground. •* * ■» • * Down the Mine. The Runanga Mine, at Dunollie, is about four or five miles from Greymouth. It is a State coal mine, and the conditions, it is adHfitted, are vastly superior to those at many of the other mines. The little township was clean and pleasant-looking, nestling at the foot of the. hills. The majority of the cottages looked comfortable, with neat gardens and tidy fences. There was one hotel at which, so I was told, there was not excessive drinking. There was also* a large Workers' Social Hall where dances were .held during . the winter, a,nd pictures shown several nights a week, and one of the best flower shows on the Coast is supported by the products from the' miners' gardens. They also have a colliery band. , An endeavour is therefore made to create and maintain a little social life among the miners and their families, and assist them in improving their own. conditions. Blackball and Runanga—a Comparison. At some-of the. other mines the men live in rough shacks, and the hotels offer the only break to vary the drab monotony of their lives. " There is more beer spilt at Blackball than is drunk at Runanga," said one man. I was glad the mine was entered through a tunnel, rather than down a shaft, and it was sufficiently uninviting, even then, to make one "hesitate. The entrance to the tunnel mouth was fringed with ferns and foliage, and, taking a small safety lantern each, my two guides and I left the bright sunshine and clean, sweet air, and plunged into the sinister darkness. / This mine is nearly worked out and the underground overseer, who accompanied me, estimated that two months at the outside would see it closed down. : There is still coal in the mine, but the workings have extended under the hill, following the seams up to the top of the range and down below the. town, until it has become a vast honeycomb, and the weight above is pressing down and causing a subsidence. A new mine has been opened a few miles further up the valley at Rewanui and future efforts will be concentrated at this point, where already a large number of men are working. A small line of rails ran through the tunnel, on which the trucks, drawn on an endless cable, were sent out. The mud was ankle deep. I struggled on, stooping to avoid striking my head, against a beam, and clutching the hand of my guide, for my eyes had not become accustomed to the gloom and the tiny, flame of my lamp gave but faint illumination. Batches of glowworms. like a.-, miniature sky at night, starred the damp walls near the entrance. * -s- * * . Into the Hideous Blackness. On and on we went-, the comforting light of day at the entrance diminishing to a mere streak. The blackness ahead was so dense, it was almost tangible, and one wanted to beat it off. The air was damp and smelt sour and muddy. On each side the great supporting wooden pillars were being crushed down by the weight of earth above. Some had curved like a bent pin, while others had split into thin strips, which bulged out. the ends re-

maining fast in the earth above and "the grotind beneath.; Piles_of< timber, stacked cross-wise, were being put in • to give additional support to the roof. In this hideous blackness, with the ■ominous creaking of- the - supporting timbers, we crept along endless tunnels. Occasionally a line ,jof 'trucks, would pass on its ray to theu mouth. -The grade varies, and, as the tunnels ■ follow the seams, they run up or down, but always are blocked off systemat- ■ ically by the engineer, a plan of the (workings looking like the streets of a - city. A turn to the left and we came ito'tiie first" jig." . A sharp up-grade brought us to: a platform, perhaps'3o or 40 feet away. . The jigger hooked, on a.full truck, the. . weight of which' carried it down the grade, at' the same time pulling up * the empty one attached to the other ■ end of -'.'tlie rop6. ■;& "3f • •x* . Hie Underground Horse. An another' point an old grey horse * loomed dimly hauling a couple of trucks up a slight incline, then trudg- ' ing back for his next load. I felt ter-. ribly sorry for the old horse; it seemed .such an unnatural ; existence to spend • 7 its life down in these dark galleries, "when there were pleasant 'fields outside. ■ ■ ; ( ' .• A few more bends and the sound of -miners at work came to our ears. There is a terrible sameness—a tragic 'monotony—-about a coal mine, the out--standing feature being the-oppressive blackness, and that terrible shut-in feeling, as though in .some dreadful nightmare you .wander in a maze from ■which there is no escape. Add to this the ominous creaking overhead, and the clammy dampness and strange 1 'smells of earth .and coal," and you have the everyday environment of the coal miner. " / ; Two men' with coal-blackened faces •were working in their " place." " I've brought a lady to see you— •ahe wants to know why they can't get goal up North," said my guide. . . " How'd you like to work in a, mine, Miss?" asked one miner. "No, thank you, and I think you deserve all. the wages you can get," I .replied. • * -x- * -» 44 Give Her Some Music." " Now, at it boys, and give her some music!" said the guide. Then, turning to me: " But don't be afraid, it's not the roof falling in; it's only the coal 4 working!' " The pick swung through the air and. crashed into the seam of coal. It creaked and : cracked, and the. noise verberated down the gallery, and in . spite of their assurance, I certainly thought that the hill above was preparing to fall and crush us. " Thanks for the music, but you can call the orchestra off so far as, I am concerned!" I exclaimed—and the men laughed. . "'Wouldn't you like to hew a bit of coal for ycurself?" one asked., • I took the pick and. dug a nice little lump of coal, which I have triumphantly brought North, as an earnest of my endeavour to solve the coal problem. We continued our tour down many • of this workings and cross galleries, past newly-erected supports where the xoof had previously collapsed, and we also saw some of ' the tunnels which were quite filled and abandoned. '' The whole formation is altering," ■said the guide. " Where there is an

up-grade one week, there is a down grade the next, and where there was a square of light looting towards the entrance, t'he roof has subsided so that there's only a narrow split to show where the daylight comes in. Now, don't be alarmed. I-wouldn't be here myself if I" thought that, it was dangerous," as I. flinched a little at the thought of a, audden subsidence while. I was in. " That is why we expect to be out of here in two. months; it will be impossible to work it longer." When we returned to the main tun-, nel and could see the glimmer of daylight, I could scai'cely restrain my eagerness and resented each: delay r sioned by the .passing of trucks. When we. emerged at last into the bright sunshine, with a faint breeze blowing up the valley, I realised, as one who enjoys a sudden surcease from pain, the wonder of sky and air, and the beauty of the hills, and I thought how seldom we pause to take stock of blessings. W-s are so busy with our grievances. It is only in sickness that we value, health; it is only in darkness that we value the. light. •* * -xA Plea for the Miner. You who sit at home and curse the miner _when the coal is short, remember this, before you fyurl the full force of your wrath at the man down below, that he is a man—a human being —and he is just as much entitled to a share of God's sunshine, fresh air, comfort and happiness as you are. He is not a breed apart with no eyes for beauty and no taste- for joy. Heredity and environment so often conspire to place a.boy's feet on the path that he, as a .man, must follow, and many a man. is a miner, not from love of the occupation, but through neceseity, for to him there is no choice.

I hold no brief for the " go slow," but: the Canterbury farmers refused to grow wheat for your flour unless they were guaranteed a certain price, and at the moment the bakers are threatening. to strike and deny to the country its- daily bread, unless their demands are conceded. Meanwhile the railway men are holding stop-work meetings and passing resolutions conveying in no ■ uncertain voice their determination to hold up the transport service of the Dominion • if their increase in wages is not granted immediately. So the miner is not a singular crearture in his demand for the highest price, he can get for the one commodity he has to sell—his labour. Human nature is much the same , in every trade and profession. In these days there is always some conference or commission sitting with as much enthusiam as a broody hen; and they alone know all the facts, and should be able to evolve a settlement. Most of the miners have come from the Home Country, New Zealand conditions being more attractive than the English. The old New Zealand miner is not encouraging his sons to follow in his footsteps, and is endeavouring"to divert their energies into more pleasant, if not more profitable channels. "Get black labour," suggested one,' but this is a type of "patriotism" which is not to be commended in New Zealand. ' -* * *x- * Averaging tlie Pay. At Runanga the average wage of the men was 15/- at the time of my visit. Two men work together in a "place," the day shift going on at 8 and coming off at 4 p.m. Two other men take up the wOT-k ■ at. the- £ 1 place ' ? from ' 4 o'clock, but they were leaving off about 7 or 8 p.m., doing only a three or four

hour shift. The next week, the two men who had r • worked the long day shift took the short evening spell, aid* the pair who had been " going slow ", put in, the 'full day's work. At the end of the fortnight, the total output of this quartette is averaged, and each man draws the same amount. - When you hear, of men earning 25/.and- 30/- a day, you will probably find that: the four- men have each worked full time, and have, -been enough to strike a " rich placethat is, where the coal is free and accessible, and easy to hew. Other men have bad luck in the allocation of " which is made periodically, and draw sections where : mere is rock and coal and faults in the seam, and even & long, arduous day's work does not - resent many tons of coal. # * * # Price Per Ton; The miners receive from 2/4 to 2/10 per ton for hewing coal, but people must not run away with the idea that ■ this represents the price of coal: at the pitlmouth. In estimating what it costs to Jand a ton: of coal on a truck side the mine, the vast expenditure on mining plant must be included, • the huge engines which day and night keep pumping 'the water from the mine, and the great fans which draw out the foul g&sses and keep up a constant supply, of fresh air through the ventilating tunnel; also the wages of truckers and other men employed in the mine, the manager, * engineers; overseers, mechanics, clerical staif and all those engaged at the works—all these overhead charges and salary lists must be spi'ead over the output of coal, for they are all part of ■the process, of getting the coal from the mme. So instead of being 2/10 at vhe pit. mouth, it. is really, somewhere 1 about 17/-. \ ■» -.1 . ■ Mine Owners' Difficalties. When a man puts his capital into a mining venture he takes a big risk, and his troubles are many. He has to contend with adverse conditions below the earth, and the fact .that a mine may not open out as profitably as it had promised. He has also to face the rapidly-increasing cost of machinery and materials. Add to this the ever- :: recurring . labour trouble, which is a' source of constant unpleasantness, and the;." strikes and "go slows " whidh reduce the output, and therefore the income, and you have a few of the mine-owners' difficulties. 7 - It will take all the wisdom of the? - wise to adjust these problem a and decide the relative share of profit which" , shall, in equity and .justice, be divided between Capital, Brain, and ■ Brawn, the trio which at peace mean prosperi--ty, and which at war mean 'disaster; "

(To be - continued.)