I.—4a.

36

JOSEPH HOLLOWS.

63. As a matter of fact, the shift coming off never gave any instructions to the men going on as to what the face was like ?—That rested with the deputy or the shift-boss —the person in subcharge. 64. As far as the miners were concerned, was it any part of their duty to report to the men going on what the face was like when they left it ?—No. 65. Did such a custom ever exist there, to your knowledge ? —You might hear such a thing as " Keep your cutting well ahead, boys, and it will work." 66. To help them in getting coal ? —Just so. 67. Have you ever worked at Brunnerton?—Yes. 68. Do they stop the haulage there for change of shifts ?—They did not when I was there. That was sixteen years ago; and, of course, more recently than that —eleven years ago. 69. How many years were you at Denniston and Brunnerton ?—Off and on, it is twenty years since I went to Denniston. 70. You left two or three years ago?—About two years and a half ago. 71. What would you consider would be the average earnings of the coal-hewers at Denniston, Granity, Mokihinui, and Brunnerton, after allowing for lost time and stoppages, during the last five years ?—I could not answer that. I have not gone into the question. 72. As secretary of the Miners' Union in Otago and all the branches, what would you consider the average earnings of a collier for a period of twelve months ? —I should say the amount would be under £100 a year, but I could not speak positively. 73. Give us the approximate amount? —I have been in the position for only a little more than two months, consequently 74. How much did you earn when you were working ? —I should say, roughly, about £100 a year. 75. About £2 a week ?—Yes, that would be about it. 76. The Chairman.] Were you up to the average of the ordinary coal-miner ?—I was generally accepted, I think, as a good worker. Of course, lam taking slack times into consideration. 77. Mr. R. McKenzie.] Did you ever know of a case in the Otago mines of a man being overpowered by bad air or damp ?—Numbers. 78. Did you ever work in the Allandale Mine ? —Yes. 79. Did you ever know of a man being overpowered there by bad air or damp ?—No. 80. To your own knowledge, did you ever know of such an occurrence in the Walton Park Mine ?—Not to any severe extent. 81. Did you ever work in the Jubilee or the Kaitangata Mines ? —No. 82. Have you ever known men to be overpowered with bad air at Denniston ? —No, I have not. 83. Nor at Brunnerton ?—No, excepting their having to knock off work early on account of there being insufficient air. 84. You have known of such cases there ?—Yes, and at Denniston also. 85. Have you ever known of cases at Walton Park, Brunnerton, or Denniston of the men being prevented from going to work owing to the mine being in a bad state ?—Yes; at certain places at Walton Park Mine —not throughout the mine. 86. Have you ever known of an Allandale miner being stopped from going to work at certain faces owing to bad air ?—No, not in my time ; but it is eleven years since I was at Allandale. 87. Are you aware, as the secretary to the Miners' Union in Otago, whether it is the general wish of the colliers in Otago that this Bill should be passed ? —Yes ; that is what I am given to understand. 88. Have you had any communication on the matter with the different branches that you are associated with ? —Yes. 89. What is the general wish ? —The wish is to fall in with the Bill. 90. You want eight hours from bank to bank ?—Yes. 91. Are the men at Kaitangata working under an award of the Arbitration Court, or under an agreement?—Under an agreement. 92. A registered agreement ?—Yes. 93. When does it expire ?—I think it expires in December, but lam not sure. I think it was for one year. 94. In the event of the Bill becoming law, would your unions be prepared to carry out their present agreements, without making any attempt to break them before they expired ?—Certainly. 95. You do not want to break your agreements in any way ? —No. 96. Do you know many colliers who have their lives insured?—l do not know of any. 97. Do you know whether life-insurance companies ask for higher premiums from coal-miners than other ordinary people ?—I do not know what the life-insurance premiums are. 98. Mr. Lang.] I understood you to say that coal-miners work under different conditions at different times in different parts of the colony—the air is different, some are wet, and so forth ?— That is right. 99. Do you not think that it is better, under those circumstances, that the time to be worked should be decided by the Arbitration Court than fixed by the Legislature ?—I myself think that the hours of work should be made applicable to all mines, for the following reasons . A mine having disadvantages such as damp, and so on, would, if it were brought under the Act, be more heavily handicapped in competing with one where the conditions were favourable. I think that if a mine having disadvantages such as I have referred to were brought under the Act— i.e., eight hours from bank to bank —and another mine having more favourable conditions were exempt, it would be unfair.