THE NIGHTCAPS COMMISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13995, 30 August 1907, Page 8

THE NIGHTCAPS COMMISSION.

Sir,—ilr Handysido, managing director of the ..Nightcaps Coal Company, aocusos Me ot hair-splitting in conncction with the wito ho forwarded to the Minister of Mines to the effect that the (Ttogo Trades and Labour Council had asked for spccial representation ou tlio Royal Commission to inquire into the recent disaster at tlio Nightcaps mine, and refers' particularly to a paragraph which appeared in the Otago Daily Times of the 16th inst. Tho paragraph simply states that tho Otago Coal Miners' had recommended tho appointment of Mr A, Forbes 36 tho miners' and that the Trades and labour Council had endorsed the recommendation. Had Mr Handysido read the previous day's issue of tho Times he would liavo seen that tlio Minister of Mines had requested tho Trades Council to confer with the Otago Coal -Miners' Union' and make a joint recommendation of a miners' representative. i( Mr Handyside's explanation of tlio "former" and "latter" does not make the _ position any different, nor does it justify hira in accusing mo of hair-splitting. What I stated—viz., that the Trades Council asked for nothing further than that a searching inquiry should be made—stands uncontradicted.—l am, eto., August 27. E. BItEEN.