Electricity in Mines.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 4

Electricity in Mines.

„ MINISTER'INTERVIEWED,

■ ■ 'The New South Wales" Govern: ment';. ]ias /by Royal Com.whethor.,,. tho,-, uso of electrical -machines iin -,mines affected- , by gas - is;'' dangerous. •• An 'annonncement "to tliiii offcot was, mado by Mr. •Moore (Minister, for, Minos) to a de-. putatioii; representing the . miners which ', interviewed him with a'request that a''Royal Commission for this purpose "should bo appointed... Tho cle-' putatipri comprised officers' and' dele-' gates; ; of, .tho: Colliery Employees'. Fo 1oration. • -It -was, pointed out that -js .tlio result'-of : the troublo over this ;matter there'woro now from 400 to. 500 moil idle- and tliero was an allegation which the .deputation wished to :deuy, that the men had taken .this stand to try.,to get the coal-cutting machines .withdrawn; from tho, mines.. •There was. !no foundation at all for this statement.- iTlie only question',in tlioir mind was the' possibility of a "disastrous explosion through tho emission of ilames'. '

_ POSSIBILITY OF ACCID'ENT.

• Tho-Minister agreed that this subject was one of very great importance. So important was it regarded in the Old Country that special departmental committees had been appointed to enquire into tlio uso- of electricity in tho mines. The general finding iii the recent report of a committee was in favour of the use of electricity; but at the ■ samo .timo ho was much impressed with several passages of that report. • In vieiy of tho possibilities, of electricity, it was necessary that every possible information bearing on tho subjcct' should be obtained. The commjtteo had expressed tho view that if. elcotricity wero installed with insufficient skill or handled with carelessness or ignorance,' accidents might result, but if it were properly set up and used-there was at present ito reason l'nr its prohibition, The committee also recorded its emphatic opinion that those who wore to use it, and wero therefore oxpose'd to any danger which might arise, from it, should have tho-right to demand that every precaution might ho taken that was reasonably possible to seenro their, safety.'- While nobody would seek to discount' tho value,of thi.'i report by capable men, ho did not at all 'accept tho view l that it was the last word to be,said::on the subject!

USE IN GASEOUS MINES.

,In view 'of tho statements placed before" hinr tlrdf . morning, and tho reasonableness ■''of the request that they should' be 'assured in their dangerous- occupation of all tho protection that could be given thorn, lie was prepared to .say at once that an inquiry would bo f held — a full and searching' inquiry, into tho wholo question of tho'use of electrical machines 'in..mines,'of electricity in any shape or'form in gaseoti's' mines. Just what form this inquiry would take —whether it should bo by Royal Commission or by a committee of inquiry— he could not say —ho would liavo to take the matter .to Cabinet; but ho promised them ...that .the question would, be thoroughly investigated. For sonic! "time"tho officers of the department had .been preparing special rules to apply to tlioso mines where electricity .was used; but it was understood, that tho representatives of.lth'o employees wished to discus's theso' ridos-with tho inspectors, : y/ho had been, waiting to. arrange for this meeting. .....

... lii discussing . this matter with" members of the deputation, who suggested that the : rules should be allowed to wait, in view of tho present difficulty, 51 iv Mooro pointed out that in some mines electricity was being used' practically without liny '■rules at all."' It'-iya's quito likely that, ■as the. result (if this inquiry, it would be found necessary to make some amendments'of-the lav/, and lie would 'Consult 'the officers as to whether tho rules could bo held over in the meantime. Ho hoitol" that a modus vivendi would"'be found, so tluit the men now out of-work would he again iii employment very shortly.

'The Nimrod, Lieut. Shackleton's Antarctic exploring ship, is a forty-year-old sealing boat, weather-beaten but weather-seasoned. Iler record is "50,000 seals, valued at £100,000.