THE OTIRA TUNNEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17092, 25 August 1917, Page 10

THE OTIRA TUNNEL

COMPLAINT ABOUT VENTILATION,

(From Our Own Correspondent.;

v WELLINGTON, August 24. Complaints regarding the , ventilation of the Otira fcuiineJ were referred to in the House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr Webb, who asked the Minister of Public Works to arrange for a thorough inspection of tho tunnel by the inspector of mines in conjunction with an inspector appointed by the workers. He said he had just received communication from two of the workers employed at the tunnel, complaining that the conditions were bad, fumes, smoke, and bad ventilation playing up with tie men's health. Mr Webb asked the Minister if he would put the workers on a six hours' day if it was found that the ventilation was bad. '

The Hon. W. Fraser said he was constantly receiving reports on the tunnel, and these were diametrically opposed to what Mr Webb said.

Mr Webb: What about an inspector? Mr Fraser said he Was not going to have an outside inspector doing his work, n a would , have full inquiries made, and he would see that everything was done> in order to have the ventilation kept as clear as possible. It was impossible to keep the tunnel as clear as the fresh air outside. If it should be proved that the state of tho ventilation' was such that a' man could not Btand more than six hours in it he (Mr Fraser) would certainly agree to that, but he wanted to have that proved. Durin" the last year or two there had been a constant agitation to secure a six hours' day at the tunnel at eight hours' pay. Whenever men wore work'ng in certain places they received eight hours' pay for six hours' work, but the whole of the men, whether working dry or wet, wanted the same thin-?, and he Was not going to give it. The Otira tunnel work was not altogether the popular in New Zealand—(" Hear, hear ") —;and if the member for Grey wanted' to impose conditions preventing hi'm from carrying out the work properly it misrht mean ■ that he would have to stop it! ("Hear, hear.")