THE MINERS' DISEASE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10042, 9 January 1909, Page 4

THE MINERS' DISEASE.

(Pes Fuss Assocunos.) Reefton, January 8. The situation is unchanged. Strong resentment is felt at the Government by the ■workers, -who accuse them of dallying -with the position. The Premier's reply is coneidered most unsatisfactory from their point of view. Some of the men are still leaving. The employers take strong exception to Mr GninnessT telegram to the of justice remonstrating against caOinK policemen to guard the mines. Thev state that watchmen were paid to guard the mines all through the ChristLis and New Year hoUdays This was till Monday rhonung, 4th January, when they left without notice, thus constituting, in' the employers' opimon, a strike. They then approached the Union ~AiT.iT that men for watching only, not to •work, be allowed to go on. _ Bus the | Union refused, and the companies not being able to get unionists applied for nonumonists, but received no response; therefore they were compelled to ask for ponce protection of their -valuable propertv, not eaainst the unionists, bnt against the ora?n,ry risks of theft. The situation is telline severely on trade. The credit system here hae suffered for a long time, and it leaves tradesmen with a largo amount of money on their books, dependent on the work of the miners. Peculiar problems are cropping up in this connection every day. The behavior of the men is most exemplary. There is a strong feeling against medical examination. . Ti The wire sent to Mr Semple by the Premier was also sent to Mr P. J. O'Kegan. In reply, Mr CP Reran stated that the telecram was leceived while he was on his Srarney to Wellington, but he would come fcoci to Beefton in consequence, and would «ee if anything can he done. The limitation of the proposed examination for pneumoconiosis simplifies matters considerably. The difficulty is enhanced by the fact that an -indemnity has been asked • against every bodily defect in terms o: section 17. "It is my duty," said Mr OTOegan, "to point out to the Government that this means that if every man is not perfectly sound he,will have to choose between losing his employment and surrendering his Tight compensation. This means that many men who could have claimed, even under the old Act, are barted, and every class of labor (not miners alone) is involved. This fact has not yet been appreciated either by the public outEide or oy the Press, otherwise we would have seen before now a general outbreak of opposition from alt classes of organised labor. Your telegram contains no reference to the case of coal miners, no matter what the Accident Department may eav to the contrary, I maintain that it is ab snrd to examine them for pneumoconiosis. This is a matter of minor importance here, but obviously it is important elsewhere." Mr O'Regan returned here to-night. Mr Semple is expected to arrive also. Thames, January 8. The present mining difficulty is having an effect on the supply- of coal to the Hauraki pump. Quantities of sawdust are feeing used in the main pumping plant for the district fires, so as to economise coal. The pump draws its coal supply principally from Waikato, Kgunguru and HikuTangi. As each of these coal Tninrng districts are affected by the present difficulty", the supply of coal will show a considerable decrease unless a solution is arrived at. The stoppage of the Hauraki pump would be a disastrous thing for the district, nullifying a good deal of -valuable work.

A largely attended meeting of the Thames Miners' Union decided to send the President fJIr Sawyer) to Auckland as a delegate to the combined meeting of labor unionists to-morrow night. It was also decided to allow pump employees to remain in employment, the opinion being expressed that the pnmp should remain ■working in the interests of all concerned and the industry itdeif. The meeting considered at length various propositions, and eventually decided to hold a special meeting on .Wednesday. Wellington, January 8. The trouble- over the medical examination of miners in consequence of an alteration in the law making mine-owners liable to compensation when, an employee becomes disabled by pneumoconiosis within twelve months of contracting the disease, will in all probability be promptly ended, for the Caoinet, after further consideration of the matter, yesterday decided that the Government would take the financial risk involved in issuing insurance policies without medical examination. The Prime Minister accordingly telegraphed to the President of the Xew Zealand Miners' Federation as follows:—" R. Semple, Esq., Beefton—ln further reference to my wire of yesterday, that the Government will legislate early next Eession "with a view to removing the present difficulties, making the Act workable, pending Parliament dealing with the matter the Government will indemnify the Government Insurance Department against IO6S for policies covering {pneumoconiosis under section 10, and will authorise the Department to issue policies without medical - examination or declaration as to health. In taking this course, the Government Tely with confidence on the honor of the miners that none bat bona fide claims will be ma7e. As I have to leave Wellington tonight, I should be glad to have an early reply.—J. G. Ward." Dunedin, January 8. 'A conference of coal mine owners was to have been held to-day to consider the question of the examination of the men, but owing to the absence of the managing directors of one of the most important mines, had to be postponed, probably till I Tuesday. It is not thought likely that • trouble will eventuate in Otago. j ' <