0.—4

204

G. WABNE

144. You have heard the evidence regarding the attachment of this patent to the windlasses . do you approve of it I—ln1 —In some respects I do, but in others Ido not. I want to know first how a man is going to land his bucket and also trip his pawl. 145. It is a very easy thing to do : he pulls his bucket, stops his machine running on the cog, and when the windlass is stopped he lands his bucket easily enough '?—T do not object to the idea. It is a thing I have never seen used. 146. You think it would be a safeguard ?—Yes, undoubtedly. 147. Have you never worked in the Waihi or Karangahake Mines ? —I have worked in Karangahake for a time. 148. What do you think about fixing a standard height for stopes ? —Well, a great deal depends upon the ground in which you are working. If the ground will not stand a fair height, and there is danger, they should be kept down. 149. Do you think that in any ground the stopes should be a reasonable height to enable the men to sound them, every morning ? — Where the ground is likely to come away that should be done. But in many metal-mines throughout the world you could take them up 80 ft. high without danger. 150. And the walls would be perfectly safe ? —Yes, particularly in such as tin-mines, where there is granite rock. 151. Do you consider mining an unhealthy occupation ? —Certainly, as a general rule, it is unhealthy. I would not put a son of mine into the mines. 152. During your experience have you heard many complaints made by men suffering from different kinds of sickness ? —Miners' complaint; that is prevalent at the Thames, but it originated several years ago when conditions were much worse than they are now. 153. As regards superintendents interfering with the manager, have you had any experience of that sort of thing ? —I do not think it is desirable at all. A man who is acting in the capacity of manager should be in full charge of the mine, and should not be dictated -to by any other man on matters involving the safety of the men. 154. He should be protected by law from that kind of thing ?—Yes. 155. The Chairman.] He should have full control and be full}' responsible ? —Yes, which, they are now. Men working under supervisors are only dummies. The supervisors have no certificates at all, and consequently have nothing to lose. The man who would go to prison would be the mine-manager. 156. Mr. Parry.] You say that superintendents should not have any control over the managers ? —So far as the prevention of accidents is concerned. 157. And the working of the mine in general ? —No, not as to where he shall work : that should be left to the supervisor. 158. What protection have the workmen if the law does not make any provision ? —I would make the same provision in the law as there is in. the Arbitration Act, whereby in hot and gassy places men may work six-hour shifts. 159. But in the event of the Inspector of Mines not being stationed near where the difficulty arises, how is it going to be fixed ?—By the workmen's inspector and the manager. 160. And in the event of the manager and the workmen's inspector not agreeing ?—I think they would agree. There would not be much oppo ition. You might find it now and then, but not as a rule. 161. Under those circumstances, do you not think it is necessary to have something laid down by law to stop any confusion between the management and the workers ? —No; I think it would be a very difficult mat er to lay down a standard, and even more difficult to keep to it. 162. An Inspector of Mines is not stationed near all the big mines ? —No ; but if this provision in made you will find that nearly every working-place will be a six-hour place. 163. In order to overcome that, what would you suggest so that it would not apply to every working-place ?—I would not suggest any standard temperature. 164. Simply because it would apply to every working-place ?—lt would be made to apply unduly to nearly every working-place. 165. Supposing the standard were fixed at 80°, and it was found that that would apply to every place, whose fault would that be ?—I do not think it would be. anybody's fault : I fail to see how it could. We may have 100° in our Deep Levels. 166. And you think the men should work eight hours there ? —No, I do not think they should work in it at all. 167. Yet you would not suggest a standard temperature ?—I would suggest anything about 80° : that might be hot enough for any man to work in. 168. Mr. Reed.] Then, you have changed your opinion ? —I do not wish for a standard ;I do not suggest it. But as the question was pressed so much I perhaps unwittingly made that statement. At the same time, I would not make a statutory standard temperature. 169. Mr. Fletcher.] Mr. Warne, do you encourage the workmen to make their inspections— workmen's inspections ? —I have never had any request for such inspections. 170. Do you encourage ths workmen to make inspections ? —We certainly do try to insist upon their seeing that they are safe themselves, but they will not do it. 171. Mr. Dowgray.] You know the use of the barometer in connection with mining : in a mine like the Deep Levels, where there have been sudden outbursts of gases, are the readings duly reported ?— Such particulars are not required by the Act in gold-mines, but in collieries it is a necessary and usual precaution.