LAMPS IN MINES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16208, 4 December 1926, Page 5

LAMPS IN MINES

TEST CASE PAILS. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The question of tho candle-power of electric safety lamps was involved in a test claim by miners for arrears of additional wages, heard iu the Supreme Court. John and Joseph Eedferu sued tho Tan pin Coalmines, Ltd., for £9O 3s 9d, representing 3d per ton on coal hewn by them jointly in the ltotowaroa mine. Clause 33 of the award states: ‘ 1 There shall be an addition of 3d to the ho wing rate, if, in event of changes in the working conditions in the mine, the men are required to work with lamps of loss than one candle power. Both the company aiul the men had assumed the Oldham safety lamp was one candle power, and accordingly from its introduction the lower hewing rate was paid. It was now alleged that tests made by Professor Powell of Canterbury College, upon an Oldham lamp from Westport showed tho lamp was loss than one candle power. After witnesses, including Professor Powell, had given evidence, Mr. West, for the company, moved for a nonsuit and Mr. Justice Adams granted it, saying that plaint ill’s had failed to produce evidence that the lamp used in the mine was less than one candlo pow'er, within the meaning of tho award. ‘ The award did not specify any method of determining the candlo power, and the plaintiffs were not entitled to select a method which gave a result in their favor.