THE MEN'S POINT OF VIEW.

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

THE MEN'S POINT OF VIEW.

STATEMENT BY MR FRY. (From Oub Own Cokbespondent.) GREYMOUTH, January 5. If the statements made by Mr C. Fry (president of the Blackwater Branch of the Inangahua Miners' Union and a member of the executive of the Miners' Federation) -are correct the new compensation law will prove a veritable gold mine for the doctors and lawyers. Mr Fry visited Greymouth yesterday, and granted an Evening Star reporter an interview. In regard to clause 10, which laid down that an employer would have to pay compensation for miners' complaint, Mr Fry pointed out that it would be impossible for the miner to obtain any benefit, as he must get the disease and be totally incapacitated or dead within 12 months before he or his dependents could sustain a claim. This," he pointed out, was impossible, for the best medical expert testimony was to the effect that it took yeais for the disease to run its course. The whole history of the disease showed it to be slow, but insidious, oftentimes long periods lapsing ere the fatal event occurred. This, he contended, would make it impossible for a man to obtain any benefit under clause 10. The men were resisting the examination, as they saw that it would be of no force. Even if they did undergo it they would get no compensation. The workers, added Mr Fry, were of the opinion that clause 10 required a, radical amendment to make it workable, though if any attempt was made to repeal the principle — i.e., compensation for miners' complaint — it would meet with the strenuous opposition of the Labour party. The pmiciple was all right, but better machinery was wanted to carry it out. As to clause 17, enabling a roan to contract out of clause 10, the union held that it should be repealed altogether. It wo* the caupe of the whole trouble now being experienced on the West Coast. If thus clause were deleted the -bill, from a workman's point of view, would ba a good one. Mr Fry l*eld that the mining oompa«i&s themselves could reduce their own liability by instituting a proper system of ventilation and water jets, the latter to keep the dust down. Is it a fact that the minus in the Inangahua district would never use the water jets? interrogated the reporter. " There have never been any water jete for them to use," was the reply. "If supplied," added Mr Fry, "they would be used. Mr Fry stated that the crux of the position, lay around the muchdisputed and vexatious question of preference to unionists. It was Mr Justice Sim's invariable' rule to grant this in nearly ell awards. The miners held that if the medical examination were adopted their preference to unionists clause would become, to all intents and purposes, a dead letter, or, in other woids, inopei-ative. The medical oflfoers would have a tremendous pow<*r placed in their hands, from which there would be no appeal. Such men being the servant? of the' companies, it was only natural to supporo that they would, be suaeepti'nld to influences from such direction*. The power was _ too great to gire any ir>sn, especially as the employers ha<? not sUted a standard of physical fitn&fs. The doctor would be givon too much power, which might lead to undesirable invidious discriminations. In any ease the medical inspection would tend to undermine the whole system of preference to unionists.