MINERS’ PAY AND WORK.

Southland Times, Issue 21823, 28 September 1932, Page 11

MINERS’ PAY AND WORK.

To the Editor.

Sir.—A letter appeared in Tuesday’s issue of your paper over the name of “R. E. Flection” in reference to the Ohai trouble. I have not had the pleasure of meeting that gentleman but it would appear from the tone of his letter that jsses io now. -itrte a lot about the mine, miners, their wages and working conditions. The question of quite a number of indifferent men producing coal and th-- basic wage being a Godsend to them really proves that R. E. Flection is entirely wrong on that point although he make. a very definite statement regarding same. I venture to say that there is a lower per centage of cases having to be made up to the minimum wage in the Ohai district than in any other district, and I do not ask that my word alone should be taken as final on that point but would refer Mr Flection to the various coal-owners m the district to supply him with a copy of the names of miners and the amount they have to pay by way of make-up to men who were working in normal places. Do not for a minute believe that the coal owners are philanthropists and make up wages when the miners fail to earn a minimum wage through their own fault, and, at a recent conference held at Invercargill, the coal owners admitted that the minimum wage clause was not taken advantage of in this district. The mines here are not idle at any one individual’s beck and call—they are idle because the owners wish to impose certain conditions on the miners which the latter considered were not acceptable and the fact that an overwhelming majority in the secret ballot was recorded against accepting the owners’ terms, is a clear indication that the owners’ overstepped the mark. Gossip is very often responsible for lying rumours and I do not kno • any slovenly miners but I know quite a lot who were able to earn £1 a day when there was work offering. The income tax returns of the miners’ incomes, as furnished by the coal companies, for the past financial year do not indicate that the balancing of the Budget will get any assistance from that quarter and that £2 a day mentioned in Mr Flection’s letter would infer that everything was “apple pie” with the miners. Let me quote a case where two miners did not earn the amount referred to above. As you may be aware payments are made fortnightly at the mine and I know of two miners having presented themselves who worked every day the mine was opened for same at 12/- per draw between them, owing to the fact that one of them had a load of coal at 12/- to pay for besides their other ordinary deduction. The question.of outsiders being sympathetic to pick and shovel men and underground workers is rather far-fetched and one has only to look around and see the sympathy that is being meted out to pick and shovel men on relief works. No, my friend, as the old poem says, it’s the poor that help the poor. Of course, the Ohai miners are not the only miners included in the list of no sympathy nor is New Zealand the only country where miners are very often referred to as being inferior, socially, to other workers (in fact, “untouchables,” would be the term some people would like to use when there is an industrial dispute on). There is no need for me to give a few facts about the why’s and wherefore’s to Mr Reflection as he seems to know all about the wages earned and the good conditions under which the miner works, and, if he is anxious for the public to know all about the dispute why does he not set to and give the necessary information? —I am etc., L. S. EDMONDS,

President Nightcaps Miners’ Union.