MR COLVIN AT RUNANGA.

West Coast Times, 11 April 1912, Page 1

MR COLVIN AT RUNANGA.

A THREAT BY THE FEDERATION. GREY MOUTH, April 10.

A deputation of general laborers employed on the State Mine Extension Works was introduced to the Hon. Mi Colvin at Runanga. Mr Foster, President of the General Labourers’ Union, acted as spokesman. He said that a great mkny of the men employed on the Public Works had been paid off. These men were residents ol Um distriet and had formed vm'ii' homos there. It would he . „roat hardship if they had to sell up their homes and go w some other place, especially 111 view of the fact that in a short time two or three hundred men would be required for development work. What was asked was that the track, the locality of winch had been pointed out to the Mmister that day, should bo put in hand and thus give Urn men employment to go on with. 1 R l6 " many of them were miners and would obtain'work here when the now mines were opened. Mr Duffy also spoke on behalf of the 'men. Ho snid-tlmt several had rearm: families in the district and it would he very hard for them to break up then homes.

Mr Colvin said that it would be impossible lo go on with the track mentioned until it had been properly surveyed. Worn could be given to 40 or 50 men at Glenhope at the present time. The worn would be constant. Mr Foster said that at the election time there was talk of the Ross railway being pucecdcd with. Nothing had been heard of 't since, and it was evidently an electioneering dodge and nothing further would be heard of it until another election " Mr~ Colvin, amidst laughter, said that ho admitted that some dirty dodges were committed at election time, which he was unable to prevent. Mr Bishop said that if Mr Armstrong met him afterwards he might find wor.c for some of the men round the mine.

Mr Armstrong then brought up th.e matter of the conditions of labour at the Otira tunnel works. He said that his Union had recently tried to' come to terms with the contractors with reference to the hours and conditions of labour, ihey had tried to bring the tunnel works under the provisions of'the Mining Aet. At the present time there wore no proper inspectors. To work the tunnel under the provisions of the Quarries Act was ridiculous in the .extreme. The men should work eight hours from bank to bank. The conditions at Otira were worse than in any mine in Now Zealand, The Minister said that ho could not hold out any hope of the men getting what they wished. At the present state of parties' it would bo madness to try to get such a measure through the House. Ho was in favour of the bank to bank danse and had always supported it. In fact, he was the one who had got it passed. Mr Armstrong said that it was argued against the proposal that as the work was being done by contract, it was impcssiolo to alter the conditions now. The Government were already given the contractor a snb-idy, why chon could they not put the works under the Alining Act and give the contractor a subsidy to recoup him for any loss? The contract would expire in two months.

Air Blow explained that the contract did not expire until the work was completed. Penalties would bo imposed for non-com-pletion within the time specified. Mr Armstrong said that the Onion or the Federation would not allow/ the work to go on under the present conditions. They wished to bring the matter once more under the notice of the Government, before resorting to the methods of the “brutal strike.” They were, _ however, determined to hold the work up until they got what they wanted. Mr Coppersmith, on, behalf of the clepntions. thanked the Minister for his courteous reception. Hon. James Colvin returns to Orey to-morrow mnrnine and will receive dennlaiiovss at the Harbor Board office at 11 a.m. To-morrow night the Minister will , be tendered a banonot at the Albion Hoi tel. Groymouth. On Friday he will pro- : ceed to Kinnara, here he will officially open the trans-Taramakan water race, the ceremony commencing at 5 p.m.