BEST IN WORLD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20892, 23 November 1937, Page 11

BEST IN WORLD

DOMINION’S MINING LAWS

CONGRATULATIONS FOR MINISTER By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, November 22. The Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in moving the committal of the Coal Mines Amendment Bill in the House to-day, said that one of the provisions of the measure would give inspectors the right to have mines worked in such a manner as to ensure the safety of miners and also exploit the mines to their fullest capacity and extract from them every ton of coal recoverable without unnecessary risk to the lives of the miners. Both the coalowners and the miners had agreed to the provisions concerned being included in the Bill. One of the new provisions would give power to insist upon companies building houses for their miners or contributing towards the cost of transporting miners from their own homes to the mines. Speaking of the problem of slack coal, the Minister reiterated the statement he had made on the occasion of the first reading of the Bill that he did not wish to bring in legislation forcibly to deal with the matter. It had been satisfactorily settled in the Waikato, and the Bill would give the Minister power to call a conference in Southland to consider a solution of the difficulty there. With the passage of the Bill New Zealand would have the best mining laws in the world. Even without it our mining legislation was better than that of any other country.

Plans of Workings The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, congratulated Mr Webb on the Bill, and stated that the clause in the measure providing for the examination of the eyesight and hearing of gas testers at regular intervals should be placed in the Statute Book of this country. Many years ago the provision of plans of underground workings was most essential. They had lost some 50 per cent, of the coal available in the mines by reason of the lack of proper underground planning. They should get 70 to 80 per cent, of the coal in the mines in some aleas if plans were properly carried out. Another welcome point in the measure was the lifting of the age of boys entering mines from 14 to 16, and also raising the age of mine managers. The Bill also dealt with the prevention of the accumulation of coal dust in mines, a most essential provision in preventing danger from explosions. Mr W. A. Bodkin (Nationalist, Central Otago) said it could be generally conceded that the Bill was a good one, but he objected to the clause giving union secretaries the power to ascertain from employers the hours worked by miners and the wages paid to them. This information should only be provided by the man himself.

Mr Webb: The secreatry of the Union is empowered to get that information under the present Act. Mr W. P. Endean (Nationalist, Parnell) urged greater co operation between the miners and mineowners, and asked the Minister what progress had been made with the investigation of means of extracting petrol from coal.

Minister Congratulated Both Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nationalist, Waltomo) and the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, congratulated the Minister on the Bill, the latter stating it was a step in the right direction. He congratulated Mr Webb on the administration of his Department. The Minister had consulted both the parties concerned before bringing in the Bill, and the result could be supported by the Opposition. The Minister, in reply, said the work of extraction of oil from coal was still in the experimental stages. The work which had been done, however, showed that coal was an enormous national asset, and in the not distant future they would see a stampede for coal in order to get oil from it. In the meantime, the Waikato decarbonising plant vas doing good work. He referred to the coalfields survey and said it was being made so that they would know exactly what the coal resources of the Dominion were. He thanked the Opposition for the fine reception it had given the Bill, which quickly passed che committee stages and also the third reading.