COAL MINES DISPUTE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17128, 25 April 1921, Page 8

COAL MINES DISPUTE.

MEN'S STATEMENTS CONTRADICTED. (special to "the priss.'V WELLINGTON, April 2S. The following letter to the UnderSecretary of Mines from the Chief Inspector of Coal Mines lirs been handed to the parties to the coal dispute:— "In the report of the conference between representatives of the mineowners and the Miners' Federation, certain statements were reported to have been made by the representatives of tho Miners' Federation which I consider it is my duty to contradict. Such statements are aa follows: "(1) The conditions at tho New Zealand mines, generally speaking, wore rotten. The statements that had been made during the conference by miners' delegates could be borne out by the reports of the check inspectors at the different collieries. There was no question about that. "(2) The inspectors of mines advised mine managers of their projected visits of inspection. "(3) The inspectors take air samples in return airways and not in mine working places. "In answer to No. 1.1 beg to inform you that during the past six months I have inspected all the principal collieries ..of the Dominion, some of them more than once, and I have reported on them to you. In no case have I found any serious defect warranting prosecution without further warning. I nave found the collieries generally satisfactory, and in no case have workmen's inspectors recently reported conditions as bad as 'rotten.' I make a point of reading and copying the wdrkmen's inspectors' reports when 1 visit the collieries. It is important to note that at only about 12 out of 145 collieries of the Dominion do the workmen take advantage of Section 40 of the Coal Mines Act bv having inspection by workmen. The reports refute the allegations that the ■ workmen's inspectors report the conditions of the mines as 'rotten.' As the result of my own inspections, I find conditions really good. The general safety of New Zealand collieries may be judged from the fact that there has only been one fatal accident m a colliery during the" past eighteen months,, and that was due to the neglect of the sutferer, a co-operative miner, to erect timber supports to the roof under which he was working. lam aware of no such immunity from fatal colliery accidents in any other country at> any "As regards inspectors of mines .advising mine managers of proposed visits ; of inspectors, I have no knowledge ot this, and do not heheye it to be trueBut if they did so under certain conditions I would not condemn them, tor the following reasons:—(l) If the taw is flagrantly broken m a mine, sucti mine cannot he 'readied up' so as to delude an experienced inspector. W Mine managers are generally gentlemen, and to treat them as rogues by pouncm* upon them without warning is not justified. (3) An inspector should always te accompanied bv tlie responsible manager during inspection as some collieries. are scattered and difficult of access. Should an inspector find the manager absent, his day will be lost, and lus itinerary spoilt. (4) When an inspector visits a coalfield he has to reserve a bedroom at air (hotel or boarding-house prior thereto. He has also to inspect neighbouring mines in rotation over a number ot days. Thus, his presence in the locnlny is generally known. In cases where improper practices are concealed, and danger exists, surprise visits of inspection are necessary, but generally they serve no good purpose. As here stated, they aro not required by the Coal Mines Act, and only a novice would think them, as a general rule, necessary. "As regards sampling mine air, bho ■ most critical place to ascertain tho quality of mine air is at tlie beginning of the return airway after passing the last man, where all the vitiated ai" from all working places is concentrated and from thence drawn out of the mine by fan. Inspectors cau at once ascertain if mine air in working places is vitiated by its effect on their lights and on themselves. Samples are taken for analysis wherever thought advisable by the inspectors, as documentary evidence, and to ascertain, if the standard as required by law is observed."