COALMINER M.L.C.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 10

COALMINER M.L.C.

A MAIDEN SPEECH.

[From Ocm Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 27.

Tiie first working coal-miner ever appointed to the Legislative Council, the Hon W. H. M’lntyre, of Millerton, gave his maiden speech this afternoon. He said the miner was by no means ns black as he was generally painted, and went on to indicate the means by which the miner’s .conditions could be improved and his output thereby increased. He forecasted that Picton would become the naval base of New Zealand, and therefore he urged the Government to link Picton by rail with the Duller district and the coalfields, so that in time of war it would be impossible for an enemy to cut off the Pacific squadron’s 'coal supply. Unfortunately, said Mr M’lntyre, the importance of tho coal-mining industry had not been sufficiently realised in the past. More should have been done to encourage the opening up of new mines. A housing scheme for miners should have been evolved. A man could not*, be contented when he was living m discomfort in a shack. A superannuation scheme for miners should have been introduced. One other thing the Government should have done, and that was to have assisted co-operative miners financially and by the granting of necessary material. The more the co-operative miners were assisted the better for the country, for a man on co-operative mining produced more than his fellow on wages. Mr MTntyre spoke of the present depression in the coal-mining industry which, he said, had been brought about by large importations. A member: It was the fault of the miners. Mr M’lntyre admitted that there might be some responsibility on the leaders, but there could be no doubt that importations had been grossly overdone- It had not been realised that a great part of the one-time shortage was due to scarcity of miners, which had now been overcome. He urged the Government to prohibit the importation of coal until stocks had been depleted sufficiently to enable all the mines in the country to get into full swing again. Many people, Mr M’lntyre added, regarded the miner as an ignorant, unreasonable, laav and selfish individual, who struck on the slightest reason or without any reason. That was quite a wrong impression Any Minister of the Crown who had visited tho mining districts would bear him out when he said the miners were a quite nice lot ‘ of fellows, who were honest, sober and very industrious and intelligent members of the community. Most of them carne from a. fichting race and were very loyal to their organisation. Sometimes they might not get the best results through not getting the best men at the head of affairs, but whip those men were at the head of the organisation the miners would stick to them. Finally he asked his hearers to believe that the miner earned all he got at the face under very hard conditions. In any case there was & very big contrast between the 3b 6d per ton paid to the miner and the £4 odd per ton charged to the public in Wellington.