HUNTLY MINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15746, 22 October 1914, Page 7

HUNTLY MINES.

EXPLOSIVES INQUIRY.

ARBITRATORS SELECTED.

EFFORTS TO RESUME WORK..

The two arbitrators who are to sit, with a Supreme Court Judge as umpire, as a Court of Arbitration to inquire# into the question whether monobel is an explosive which may safely be used 'in the Ta.upiri mines at Huntly, have now been nominated. The directors ,of the Taupiri Coal Mines Company yesterday received notification from the Government that the arbitrator to represent the Mines Department would he Dr. J. S. Maclaurin, Dominion analyst and chief inspector of explosives. The company thereupon nominated as its arbitrator Professor T. H. Easterfield, professor of chemistry at the Victoria University College, Wellington. His Honor Mr. Justice Cooper will be president of the Court.

Meantime every effort is being made by the company to reopen the Huntly coal mines, which had to be shut down iu consequence of instructions from the inspector of mines, .Mr. B. Beirnie, that monobel— only explosive used by the company not a " permitted explosive, and further owing to statements made by Mr. Frank Reed, Government, inspecting engineer, before the Royal Commission: of Inquiry into the Huntly disaster, as to the danger to be apprehended, in his opinion, from a continuance of the use of monobel. Both Ralph's and the Extended mines have been closed since October 12, throwing a large number of men out of work. Simultaneously with the enforced closure of the mines the company cabled Home for a supply of " permitted " explosives. It also placed an order for a quantity in Australia. This latter order has been filled and the necessary permission of the New Sputh Wales' Government for its shipment to ' Auckland has been obtained. At present some delay is being experienced in obtaining a vessel in Sydney for the transport of the explosives, but the company is hopeful that this difficulty will shortly b A overcome and that it will be able Vr resume operations in the mines shortly There is naturally great anxiety on the part of the workers at Huntly, as well as on the company's part, for the mines to reopen. The directors were yesterday waited upon by a deputation from the Huntly Coal Mine Workers' Union re garding the matter, urging the necessity for speedily resuming work underground. They were informed that the company had succeeded in securing a. small quantity of " permitted" explosive in Australia and was negotiating for a further supply I from a firm of importers which ■ has a consignment on the way out- from Home. It is hoped that once resumed, operations will be continuous. The seriousness if the situation, both to the company's consumers and its employees, is fully recognised by the directors, who are "sparing no pains to arrange for the speedy resumption of operations. independent altogether of what may be the result of the deliberations of the Court of Arbitration as to the particular explosive, monobel.