MINERS AND THE LEVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 14

MINERS AND THE LEVY.

Sir —Please allow ino to reply to Mr. Thome's letter of July 7 in regard to miners' wage of 30s per shift,, band's earnings for the last fortnight woie £6 15s for seven and a-half shifts, which is 18s per shift, not 30s, as staled by Mr. Thornes. Out of the £6 15s the following expenses had to be paid: Bus, 8s- coal, 12s; light, 4s; doctor, 3s; chick-weight, 3s; carbide, 2s 6d; union, ssj rent, £2 Is; total, £3 18s 6!. ■ left mo with the small amount of £2 lbs 6d'to keep ton of us for 14 days in food and clothing Mother of NiNt.

Sir,-" Kimi Miner" says the mitws ' as a body of mpn" never did decide 0 defy the law and not pay the levy. We have all known that since Ju y 6, iv-hen the news was published that the three-fifths majority necessary to carry 1 resolution not to pay the levy had not been given. That is as soon as "Kimi Miner" knew it and has no beartrig on the letter i wrote on July 2, (published on July 4), which was perfectly justified when I wrote it. Mr. MoKay and "Kimi Miner" deny that any subsidv is given to the medical and sick furids. They will not deny that all the mines in the Waikato.make a contnbu tion to the miners' relief fund of a half penny per ton on "11 the coal mined. If no part of that contribution reaches the medical and sick fund.then I am sorry I made the statement that the fund was subsidised. With regard to tie wages at present received by ■ minors, " Kimi Miner," in his letter of July h says "There are five mines now producing. coal in the Waikato, and the number 6f persons employed hag been considerably increased, but the demand for' coal has not increased sufficiently to keep the mines working any more than three days a wee i on an average." Exactly. And what docs " Kimi Miner," or any other miner, propose as a remedy ? What more can the management of these five ""ties do than they are doing now-! And J ' can work or wages be creased while these conditions continue. Utuoitu nately there seems no other avenue o employment for tho m ine *",„ hand to in which he could do as well as ho is doing, and, although we all regret it is not better, still there are thousands of men in New Zealand who would gladly change places with the miners if that were practicable. I imagine wo shall all have to bear our ills in the hope of bettor times to come. "There's a good time coming boys, but it> a good time com- ? ' ' j Thohnxs. ing.