THE COALMINER'S LOT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 11

THE COALMINER'S LOT.

.PROGRESS IN 25 YEARS.

A MINER CONDEMNS STRIKES.

"The Miner of To-day and 25 Years Ago," was the subject of a lecture which was delivered at Huntly on Monday evening by Mr. A. H. Geary, ; who has been a practical miner working in Huntly for the last- quarter of a century. Mining conditions, said the speaker, were now so excellent that the Taupiri Company had the safest and best-ventilated mines in the Southern Hemisphere. Twenty-five years . ago yentilaticn / was . practically neglected, and it was a. common occurrence for the miners working at the face to down tools and proceed to the bottom of tho main shaft in order to obtain oxygen. He. dealt with the improvement which had taken place in the matter of wages.

Referring to union matters, speaker said that after the maritime strike the union fell into abeyance, to spring up later on as a militant body of extremists. He was against extremists, whether they Were labour agitators or capitalists. Both had 'an utter disregard for the golden arbitration and conciliation—which, by raising wages, improving working and social conditions, and shortening hours had raised the status of the working man, and placed him on an equality with his employer. In, Huntly, concluded the speaker, the mines were safe and free from gas, the working conditions were excellent, and as time.proceeded the men would see that it was in their best interests to support arbitration and regard the strike as ah obsolete weapon of induswarfare. .•.,"'