THE PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 29

THE PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE.

I ADVICE TO THE MEN. WELLINGTON, January 7. A lengthy telegram dealing with the difficulty which has arisen on the West Coast and elsewhere owing to the employers' insistence on a medical examination of miners was sent by the Prime Minuter (Sir Jo^ph Ward) to-day to Mr R. Sei-iok- (president of the New Zealand Win"! / Federation). Sir Joseph suggests that t lie piiners should submit themselves to a medical examination by Government medical officers, which would be without cost, for pneumoconiosis alone, and he details the position taken up by the Government Insurance Department in relation to the risk described in clause 11) of the Workers' Compensation Act. The telegram reads : — E. Semple, Esq., President Miners' Federation, Reef ton. The Government has obtained legal advice upon the points of law, and since receipt of the same the whole j matter hes been reconsidered by the Government Accident Insurance Department. The department reports that ■ it is unable to accept the unknown I responsibility involved in the proposal j to insure miners without medical j examinination. Second, the Government Accident Insurance Department points out that a preliminary medical examina- j tion effectually avoids all trouble, and , that the miner who gets a clean bill of | health establishes ipso facto his claim I to compensation within the statutory limits in the event of his being subsequently incapacitated. The department also directs attention to the fact that j it is quite impossible at the present j time for miners in any part of the world | to get their lives insured for £500 at | death (the benefit pro\ided under the | workers' compensation law) without | medical examination to see whether I they are free from phthisis or any other j disease, and that a similar course is j necossary in the case of applications to join friendly societies. Further, there is no more indignity in miners being asked to submit themselves to medical examination than in the cases referred to. Third, I would suqgfst for the consideration of the miners that they it

I agree to the medical examination provided it is carried out by the Government medical officers, such medical examination to be for pneumocor.iosis only. Fourth, the jonly other course that suggests itself is that pneumoconiosis should be struck out of the legislation altogether at the next meeting of Parliament. Fifth, steps are" being taken to have the interpietation of clause 10 defined by the Supreme Courr under the Declaratory Judgments Act of last session, and on receipt of this the matter will be further considered in order to meet the position if the judgment given enables the Government to do so. J. G. Ward. The Times understands that the steps to obtain an interpretation of the law have already been put in hand and that a hearing of the Labour Department's application for an interpretation__of clause 10 is likely to take place within a few days.