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GEORGE FLETCHER.]

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I.—4a.

570. It must be eight and a half if you are now in nine hours in some cases, and you get half an hour knocked off?—lt is straight out " from bank to bank "in the Act. Nothing is said about half an hour. 571. You are now working half an hour a day more than you need do?—Not half an hour more than we need do. We are working half an hour less than we have been doing according to the way in which the Act is worded. But some parts of the mine take twice as long as other parts to get to, and the men at them are in pretty well nine hours. 572. But according to the Act the time was intended to be eight hours at the most—eight hours and a half with the crib-time ?—Yes. 573. Those working farthest away were intended to be in eight hours and a half ?—Exactly so. 574. But at your mine they are in half an hour extra ?— 575. The Chairman.] If getting to the face was considered work you would all work about the same time ?—Yes. 576. And if it was not you would not ?—No. 577. Mr. I understood that the men farthest away were allowed only eight hours ? —Yes ; that is the law—that all the men should be in the mine eight hours, exclusive of crib-time. 578. But some of the men are in nine hours?—Yes; and others eight hours and a half. 579. Supposing this proposed amendment of Mr. Guinness's comes into force, and crib-time is included in the eight hours, will you be willing to take eight hours and a half for some of the men ?—No, certainly not. Our agreement is one between ourselves. 580. Will that agreement go on ?—lt might. I would not like to say. 581. Mr. Colvin.] It would go on without your making any alteration on account of the halfhour ?—Yes, till the award ran out. I would not think of altering the agreement. 582. How long have you been president of the union ? —Eight years. 583. You know the mind of all the men on the Coast 'pretty well on this subject, from your being president and from your connection with the union ? —I do. 584. Do I understand that your union would like to see Parliament pass this Bill?—Certainly. 585. The union would like a maximum time of eight hours put on the statute-book, but would leave it to the Arbitration Court to fix a shorter time for men working in bad places ? —Yes. We want a simple eight hours from bank to bank Act, and other matters could be fixed by the Court. 586. It has been stated here that the sitting of the Arbitration Court causes ill-feeling and disturbance : what is your experience as to that ?—My experience is that the .Arbitration and Conciliation Act is one of the greatest benefits to the people of New Zealand that have ever been conferred on them by Parliament. 587. In your opinion, the Denniston Mine is a well-equipped one as far as the safety of the colliers is concerned ?—Yes. 588. But for the sake of the men's health the hours should be shortened?—They ought to be shortened. My reason for advocating this is, in the first place, that a miner has to walk perhaps a mile or a mile and a half—in some cases two miles—to the mouth of the tunnel. Then he has to carry his tools, and whatever he wants during the day, on his back for perhaps half a mile or three-quarters of a mile, and, in addition, has to carry them while walking in a crouching attitude. 589. Mr. J. Allen.] You are referring to one particular mine? —No; to many mines. We find that is just about as hard work as a man has to do—l mean walking in and out with his tools on his back in a crouching position. And every day that a man works in a mine he is getting so much further away. George Fletcher examined. (No. 13.) 590. The Chairman.] What is your name ?—George Fletcher. 591. Where do you live?—At Granity. 592. What is your occupation ?—Mining manager at the Millerton Mine, under the Westport Coal Company. 593. You do not hold a mine-manager's certificate, do you?—Yes; but I am not a certificated manager under the Act. lam the general manager down there. 594. Have you had any practical experience of coal-winning in a mine ? —I never took out any coal myself, but I have worked at timbering, doing offhand work, &c. I served my time to be a mining engineer in the Old Country. 595. Mr. J. Allen.] You are acquainted with the provisions of the Bill before us ?—Yes. 596. Do you know what the effect would be in your mine if the Bill were passed? —Yes; the effect would be to reduce our output by about one-fifteenth. 597. Will you explain how it would reduce your output?—We could not draw as much coal in seven hours as we can in seven hours and twenty-five minutes. 598. That is, the haulage machinery?—We could not run the coal down the inclines. We could not run the same quantity in seven hours as in seven hours and a half. 599. The Chairman.] If a miner gave you as much in seven hours as in seven hours and a half, could you take it awav from him ?—No, we could not. 600. Mr. J. Allen.] Why not?—We have only one road to bring out the coal. 601. Your haulage would not do it?—We could not do it. We have only one line of rails. 602. At busy times now you are taking as much as you could possibly take out ?•—Yes. 603. If you were called upon to take more you could not do it?—No. 604. Do you use coal-cutting machines at your mine ?—Yes. 605. Do you think that a miner with a coal-cutting machine could give you in seven hours what he is now giving you in seven hours and a half?—A man with a coal-cutting machine could give as much in seven hours, but we could not get it away. The trucks have to be filled and taken to the rope-road before the coal can be taken to the bins, B—l. 4a.

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