Untitled

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 229, 31 October 1914, Page 8

Though ah attempt has been made to manufacture political capital out of the mining: disaster at Huntly, the' findings of tli^v'C.om'inissi o n. set up. to, enquire tiito t&i jeauses of the explosion pro.veincontestably that the responsibility with the management of the mine find with nobody else.;, Had the administration complied With the provisions laid down in the Act, there would have been no explosion, and no, bereaved families at Huntly. The Commission foundthat the* precautions takeuby ,thfi mine manager against the accumulation of fire-damp in the old workings were lax and unsatisfactory,; that,. despite warnings in adjacent,mines bf the presence of fire-damp, no care was taken to see that locked safety lamps only were used by the miners. The report of the Commission states that the inspections of ;the workings by the workmen's ; inspectors were infrequent and valueless. Had the old workings (where the firedamp had collected.) been inspected on the morning of the accident there would have, been no explosion. In face of the facts that accumulations of gas had been found in dangeroiis quantities in the old workings of the mine, that explosions and ignitions had been experienced in the-adjoining collieries, that the Mines Department, had been warned of the impending danger in the mine because of the gas known to exist there, the manager of the Taupiri mine allowed the men to use naked lights. It is a grave reflection on the management of the mine that by disregarding the precautions insisted on by the Act such a calamity occurred. It is a case in which there has been a culpable carelessness, the result of long familiarity with dangerous conditions. The Commission is satisfied that had ordinary care been exercised there would have been no sacrifice of lives to deplore. It is unfortunate that the lesson taught by the explosion in the Taupiri mine was fraught with such a loss of life, but it will assurodly open the eyes of those in charge of coal mines iu the Dominion to the danger resulting from neglect of the precautions to bo taken against the dreadful fire-damp. Tho Coal Mines Amendment Bill, which is now before Parliament, will assist to safeguard further tho men underground, and the recommendation of the Commission that the Inspector of Mines should be given power to order the use of safety lamps when necessary should be adopted in this amending measure.