THE PRIME MINISTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 6

THE PRIME MINISTER.

;|;|g.t;:; ; ;:^ . WELCOME TO WAIHI. DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS. [BY TELEGBAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]; WAIHI, Thursday, Tin-; Prime Minister and Lady Ward arrived at Waihi by motor car from Paeroa this afternoon, accompanied by Messrs. ;H. Poland and H J. Green*lade, M.P.'s. En route the journey was broken at Waikino, i where, after a visit of .inspection, to the Waihi Gold Mining Company's fine Victoria mill, under the guidance- of Messrs. S. E.' Frascr, .'■ superintending engineer to the company, and H. W. Hopkins, manager of the treatment plant, Sir Joseph addressed a large gathering of the battery hands, speaking for a; quarter of ah hour. At the close of his remarks he was accorded a vote of thanks in conjunction with a vote of confidence in the Goverar. He then received some deputations. __ ; ; The first sought to have a certain portion of the Piako lands set aside for miners', sections for the benefit of Waikino residents desiring to establish homes for themselves. Another deputation gave voice to an existing dissatisfaction with regard to certificates required untfer the Workers' Compensation Act from doctors in cases of accident. It was urged, that such certificates should bo more easily obtained, and it was suggested that medical men should be subsidised by the Government to grant them free ; of charge, and that payments ; of ; insuranceshould be obtained from the insurance companies by the Labour Department. Another request was for an amendment of the mining laws to provide for the payment of overtime for all work of any kind whatever done after ordinary hours. ■hu Replying, the Prima Minister said, in regard to the Piako lands that he would go into thy matter, with the Minister for Labour. Ho considered that the request made was a reasonable one regarding the accident insurance question. The Act referred to was to he amended in certain respects next session, and the whole of the proposed alterations were being gone into by the Minister for Labour. He-undertook to inquire into the overtime point raised. At the request of another deputation, lie promised ,to give Waikino direct telephonic communication with Waihi, and also to provide the township with a letter-carrier on condition that the business of the post office was found to warrant it. In response to a request "that Waikino; should receive a proportion of the gold duty revenue of the district, ;; Sir Joseph said he would investigate the matter. , ;•■;;■..,.;'";:,-:;;'-

; The party reached Waihi about 3.30 p.m., and the Prime Minister was welcomed at Meyer's Hotel on behalf of the citizens of/Waihi by the Mayor (Mr. Thos. Gilmom). Welcomes were also extended to Sir Joseph by Mr. H. T. Armstrong (president of tho Waihi Miners mid Workers' Union), and : Mr. D. Donaldson (president of tho local branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation). Sir Joseph returned thanks, and after cheers had been given for the. Prime Minister, and the District High School cadets, under Captain : Wooller, had been put through a few movements the deputations were introduced- by the Mayor, who first: thanked the Prime Minister for what the Government had done in arranging for a survey of the proposed'line of railway connecting the Gisborne and East Coast districts with Waihi, and asked that the matter should claim earnest attention; with a view to putting this important work in band as early as . possible. . ■ : The Prime Minister said he would undertake to" see that the matter would claim every- consideration when the question of railway ■ extension was * before Parliament next year. : ; -.•..■;•'"./ ' ■<■":',-,■ "

WAIHI'S POSTAL ', ACCOMMODATION. Mr. D. Donaldson then introduced the question of postal --and telegraph accommodation. ~ He pointed out 'that the vote of £600 granted "by the Government for additions to the present building ; ■ would not afford sufficient accommodation for the rapidly-growing [ requirements of the district. The development in the mining industry clearly -demonstrated that the township was going to stand and grow for many years to come, and therefore it was felt that a new and more commodious building was required, y The ?. present arrangements -- in connection with the deposit and withdrawal of money lodged in the Post Office Savings Bank caused vexatious delays, and it was desirable that a chief post office.should be created for the district, thus dispensing with'the necessity of sending to the Thames for moneys lodged. Sir Joseph intimated that he would make it his business to go over the office in the morning, : and if it appeared from personal observation that it was desirable that a new building was required, then the expenditure of the vote of £600 for additions would be, withheld meanwhile, and the question of providing a new building, with adequate accommodation, would be thoroughly looked into. He also promised to fully consider the question of the money-order department.

- LANDS OFFICE REQUIRED. Mr. J. Newth then drew the Prime Minister's attention to the need for a lands office in ; ! the district to furnish information to prospectors and others. At present the facilities were not what might be wished, and the- establishment of such an office would be of great convenience, and service to prospectors and the people of Waihi generally.:; >~-.• -, . > ~ > . The Premier said he would confer with the Minister in charge, with a view to seeing what could be done to meet the requirements of/the district in the direction indicated.

A ROADING REQUEST. Mr. J. K. Evans brought forward the question; of . reading the plains about Waihi to enable settlers to take up areas under occupation rights. Sir Joseph said he would see what could, be done. The Government was always anxious to encourage settlement, and full consideration would bo given to the matter. RAILWAY EXTENSION. Mi*. J. Foster urged the necessity for the extension of the line of railway to Waihi from its present terminal point in the west to the east end of the township. lb was, ihe said, anticipated that in the future mines and poppet-heads would be studded from the east end of the township right out to the Waihi beach,: and in the absence of a line of railway the cost of conveyance of coal and other commodities to the mines was very heavy, owing to the double handling necessary; so heavy, indeed, that the industry was being seriously hampered and retarded. The growth of population at the east end also demanded attention to the matter, owing to the cost of conveyance iof residents to their homes from the present terminus. In reply Sir Joseph said the matter would have his attention. ~■■*.'

UTILISATION OF WATER POWER. Mr. M. G. Power pointed to the advantages that would accrue to the district if the water available within measurable distance was utilised for the generation of electric power for mining purposes. The Waihi Gold Mining Company had : approached the Government with a view to harnessing the Horahora Falls, but the proposal had not met with the approval of the Government, owing to the fact that 'something in the, shape of a monopoly might be created. The people of Waihi were opposed to monopolies, but felt that the Government would be conferring a great boon on all concerned by taking into consideration the matter of supplying electric power by utilising the streams, available. The utilisation of water-power would enable the profitable treatment of huge quantities of low-grade ore .thatcould not now be handled to advantage. The Prime Minister said he recognised 1 the importance of*.the question of utilising the natural water power of the Dominion. The ■; matter was now under consideration, and steps were being taken by the Government to formulate conditions which would enable those requiring water oowpr to utilise 'it at ! : .their.' own. cost,

subject to the (smaller people being allowed to obtain power from thoso respoßsibk for its introduction on terms ,to be fixed by the Government.

VOLUNTEERING NEEDS. Mr. J. Seanloii asked for a. grant of £100 towards the Volunteer Drill Hall, and an annual: contribution of £25 towards the upkeep of the building, which he said was ;a heavy tax on the local volunteer* corps. The Prime Minister indicated that he would have the question gone into with a view to ascertaining i whether anything could be done. ' ' "

SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION. • The Rev, Salter, representing the Waihi School Committee, urged upon the Prime Minister the need for additional accommodation at the District High School, where it was found impossible to meet the numerous demands for admission. Messrs. E. V. Turnbull and A. Cathey. spoke in support and Sir Joseph, replying, promised to at once go into the question .with the Minister for Education. ■W"':

ROAD TO WAIHI BTSACH. The providing of a road to the Waihi beach was urged on Sir Joseph by Mr. E. V. Turnbull, who pointed out that a good road would facilitate the mining industry by greatly reducing the cost of= the carriage of coal, etc., and at'the same time would open up the finest pleasure resort adjacent to Waihi. ' ''. The ■■■■' Minister 'for Mines had promised "a vote of £200, but of this only £100 had been made available, and the speaker now asked that the remaining £100 should be placed at the disposal of those who were to undertake the work of construction. ~' The local bodies interested were contributing liberally, and it wits intended to make a start with the construction at an early date. '; ~ : ' Replying, the Prime Minister said he would telegraph to the Minister for Mines with a view to having the remaining £100 made available. The question of further assistance later would be a matter for future consideration.

MINERS' REQUESTS. Mr. H. T. Armstrong, president of tlio Miners' Union, headed a deputation on matters. affecting the workers. He asked that a royalty be put on the gold won, to assist in providing an accident fund for the maintenance of injured miners and their relatives during the incapacitation'of the workers. At present the tax was a very heavy one on the miners, and he saw no reason why the gold mining industry should not be brought into line with the coal mining industry in this matter. He urged the introduction into the Act of a clause permitting the appointment of check weighmen for the checking of the ore from the mines on behalf of the miners, and a provision enabling the union to collect funds front the men who would benefit by the check-weighing to pay the men so engaged. Mr. Armstrong also drew attention to the differences that had arisen between the employers and workers relative to the granting of permits under the clause which provided that under certain conditions permission should be granted to men to work for less than the minimum i rate-of' wage prescribed. The workers held that the intention of the Act was that the clause should apply only to those who were physically unfit to earn the minimum wage; but the clause had been otherwise interpreted by the warden, and physically sound' men had been granted permission to work for less than the standard rate of pay. Mr. J. Scanlon, secretary to the union, submitted figures showing the heavy tax on the union for accident pay, and, with Mr. Johnston (vice-president), endorsed Mr. Armstrong's contentions. • Mr. Johnston also'.■'■ mentioned the fact that while the union's-interpretation of the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act led them to the conclusion that men incapacitated from work were entitled to 50 per cent, of their average earnings during incapacitation, . the Waihi' Gold Mining Company held that, the" men were only entitled to half the rate of pay fixed by the award of the Arbitration Court, which meant that the men 1 often got considerably less than half their actual earnings while on accident pay. He also- suggested the insertion ■in the' Mining Act of a clause permitting the levying of contributions for the creation. of a medical fund. ■ Sir Joseph, in the course of his reply, stated that several of the-matters mentioned were under the . consideration of the Government, and an amended Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act would bo before Parliament at its jiext session. He saw no reason; why gold won should not. contribute towards the accident fund, ,as was the case in the coal mining industry, and he would consult with his colleague, the Minister . for Mines, on this point. He also saw no reason why check weighmen should not be appointed, and a medical fund created, and would go into this matter and the question of the interpretation of,the clause regarding permits for nnder-rate workers on Lis return to Wellington. ASSISTANCE FOR DEEP SINKING. ; Messrs. Ziman, chairman of directors, and J. H. Evans, manager of the Waihi Consolidated Gold Mining Company, asked the Prime Minister to assist the company with a grant for the sinking of the shaft to test the reef system at a. greater depth. The first-named said the shaft 1 was now, down upwards of 540 ft, and it was anticipated that an additional 300 ft would place them in a position to ascertain whether the reef system continued in that direction, and as to its values. The work was of the utmost importance to that end of the field, in that the prospecting would assist adjoining companies, which justified them in approaching the Government for a subsidy. ' In reply, Sir Joseph said that from what had been placed before him it would seem that the work would benefit other mines and the district generally, and he would go thoroughly into the matter with the Hon. James M'cGowan, with a view to deciding whether the Government would be, justified in acceding to.the request. v : _; A POLICY-' SPEECH. ■In the evening Sir Joseph - delivered a policy, speech in the Criterion Theatre, which was crowded,'in which he again touched; upon ,matters contained in his Auckland speech. Afterwards he was the guest of the Mayor at a . social >at Meyers' Hotel. « • i

To-morrow Sir Joseph and party will motor through to the Thames, where he will. address a public meeting at night.