MINERS' DECISION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 396, 4 January 1909, Page 5

MINERS' DECISION.

WILL NOT GO TO WORK. : - SIX. HUNDRED.pORKERS AFFECTED / ■;"■ 'GOVERNMENT BLAMED, : The dispute between the quartz minere and -their employers .at Reofton has,, after ■■■.'[ several weeks' discussion ; and negotiation, '/ culminated in the refusal of the men. to re- . sumo work after the holidays. The trouble began when notices were posted up calling upon-the-employees to•submit;.:-themselves to .-.■■ ■ : medical examination prior ; .tq the' copiing . ,' into, operation 1 of'.the nW!fWo'rkeri': v Coin-:V, pensstip,n.Acf;.on I .Ja'nuary,li : ,,;,iTh'B:obieot;.of - this step, on the part, of .the, employers, .was :• that those 'who we're "found' to • bo affected with ■pneumoconiosis, - ! or.v.miners' complaint, ;-.' ■■- might bo induced to sign agreements ...con- ..-'■:' traptirig themselves out of the bbnefits"c'on- •' ferred by the new- Act on those who -are'=' killed or incapacitated by that disease. This . : procedure iV provided.'for in Section" 17: of , ( : .- the Act, and must be dona with;? tlio sane- ■ tion of a magistrate. Medicalexamination,:;"■■',;".• however is not mentioned in. the .Act., ,: ■.'•'•' ■ -■The then were ■ advised' by 'their'leaders. . that it would be degrading to submit to -the ■■'.--.. test, and.that,,they .should,.claim-the: full . benefits' of the : new: legislation unconditionally. Conferences aqd mass meetings were ■■ held, and attempts were made to arrive at r .{V.lcompromise.:. , , : ,insurani;encompaiiies?.Kera' ■ appealed to, but they took the same, view'v : as the,-employers, and declined to'take any . risks unless Ahe' men-were .medically-exam- ■'■';'■'..' 'in'ed; ; - " ; ..' : '" '. . .. . ■ '■ . ... :,.. - : ; .':'."' The Priin'e Minister and the' Minister, for .. . Labour, were in.-settling.^the : .■.' -dispute, -"but they held that'the Go'rernment.-,' -.-. couldjdo nothing in.the matter until Parliament met, and that the men would he well advised to. allow the exam'iriation-. ; to'-tako : V: plabe. ..-■;■. .'.".■■.•■•■..'.• -.': ■;'• ■ '.' .■;..: '■'' ':.•'■■:. Mr. R, Semple, president of the Miners'. : . ;Fe~clfiratiMy.'statedTJastr.week-tbat';6oo''inon \. wefb-concerned in;the matter, .J,. V -Martin, manager of the Progress Mines, Reef- v ton, said in an interview that if there were -; a strike it would be a serious one, for it - would extend all down the coast, and would ■affect the coalmines as well as the gold „■; ■■■". mines. At Blackball relations have been ••-.'■'--> strained owing to the coal-miners having :, raised .strong objections.'to , * tbo reduction' of:..' the,;rate,\of ;.pay,,.fo;r, taking ; "pillars,"-,'...'-■. The whole■outloqk'is a.serious ohe,y;- : '; . ; : ■. -v-l ■?iRi^WW C ■-.■ -'.■ ';:;] .-'. ', ; ; ■.:■■: I ''J\.; (BTTpLEGBirH— -PRESS ASSOCUTIQS,) ' :'. '-.■"■. " Roeftcn, January 2.' - " ■A conference between tbo miners, and. .- owners took' place to-day, but proved abor" :■- tivo, The mine owners stated that if tho :. Government Insurance Department or any. i insurance company took risks for, say, ■;•...' five years,.th?y. iu- :','.■ iSi.Bt.!.bi| jtfedjf }i '■■ ~. '■. '■■.. .-■;"■;•■. ■ [.. 'Che' , meSi"pS i '"'iJ^t6rinirfffdly~.b^pose''tho sanie; ..:: ' : The federation is trying to induce the Gpy* '.• ■; ernment Insurance Department to insure the ■,■'::■. mines. • ■ .;■.'•■ : , , : ■■/"'.. ,'\ -.'' -■■: ■;:;.■ A special general meeting of the miners .. will be held to-night to disouss the- posi-■'■.'■ .■ -.' tion. .-■'■• .'"■■ .-'■■ ■"•. ■ ■■■'■-■ -' '■'-.'■'. ■ ■ " ; ' ' ; : ■. ;V : .. '...'./:.". r ; Creymouth, January 2,' ' .■■. There is much'uneasiness as to the re'sul )•'■■-■■■- pov : proceeding. In the event of a deadlock, ? gravo oonseoiienpos are feared. .;..':-.'■.:! ; ' ■ - : JgQ XMof WORtCTO-iD^Y.; : : .f - : ./■; EMPLOYERS "ASKING FOR TOO MUCH. , * PREVAILS. | ' v^ •-,. : (BT' TELEGIIAr(I--rBEBS ABSOCIATION.) . .■■' '■■):'f'i: :.:':L ;.Reefton, January' 3. A meeting of three hundred miners was held last, night, Tho ; meeting was noti open '•to ,tho-..press, -!but,it .is..understood- thit the ". Of "Miners and -the' l commitiee il reported i - , that''rio''agreement; : ."had'b'eflii comonto withr the'employers, i ■ : Messrs.• Colvin,.SJ.P.,;;p r nd,p,.• J,- O'Regaii .'.; addressed the nieetingj and' it was .ultimately - decided that no. meiwir'of tlie-union Bh'ell go' ■:'. to■'work'- to*-mof row.' 1 " -The ■ only: miners iwork-' ing in'tho:.di6triot : !'wili;.be.'tribjitors on the.' G.ojden FJeooo, -and.; onlyCthey.Jan3-id wprltora for them: ■.;•" •'■■■•'-••■ .-, - ■■ "TllO mines s affepted are the Progress and. Globe Mines, New Big River, Keep-iUDark, Energetic,. Wealth'of Nations, New Ulster, St., J .Qoorge;..Big-River, and >Vblcome. ; Syn- ■•'■'• :;:, ;' i ";.V^.'. , ' l :;.-f■;'..■; .'-. !," .';'; : ■.- "'.' .The Battery' hands also will'not go tri work." ■''■'■■ It:)sfcaloulfttea.that."6oor-!Hiners are directly employed in tb,o jnines afjectod. • [ '.' •■■' -.': Great" indignation" is~ expressed- against. the Government for their -inaction- ±lt held their lack of consideration of the'mea- ■■'-. the cause of tho trouble. Previously. . :there'Was no cause for trouble between ..the employers and tho men, ! ...;. ■■ : ... .:■■ The "men, thin* tho employers are making '• too nvuch '.bf-tlie risk's , iThe'. men. also think ; , in asking for five years , -. V insurance are'asking''for'too much.' -.-• ..;■ ■ Agooddeal'ofcensurois,passed on a mem- ' : her: of ..the Labour Federation, who was re- "■■ .po_rted,.by the,;.'.'Now.Zealand Times " to havo"', ;^: ''■ said that.7s per cent, of minors aro affected ■■■ ■-', \vith, niiriers' complaiiit.-•'• -jlr,- Semple,. pre-< ■: V sident 'of the Miners' -Federation,-; <; this was mis-reported. . . ::".'. \^. ; , .: r' l iheVutmoßf,.k66d order, proyaila.. it is. • hold that, as,. the . men .-.were , discharged on- ; - .Dsopmber .23,;.pri.or::i;o.'the.hplid.ays; , there' ia •■■. : .■no.;cpnipulsipn;Oμ;.them.ip r go;to; .... .- - •.."th'e "iriSlliß^JQE';:'attJ't"o^^: ; EVIDENCE BEFORE THE lABOUR BILLS ; ; .•';•:;, .y>«. ;. ,^; .uCOMMHTEE. ; ;.jv :,." ? MEDICAL ;N£GJSSSARY, ; ■ : '.: The.evidence,given managers; -l Labouxy.Bills Committoo last ees- ■;,-, sion having'Tieen', brought' inio the contre-- ..; versy on.medical-esamination of miners, soma , .estracts. irom.;the_ official report of the com'mittee .will'bVof;interest. ... , ... Mr.'.O.'M'.:.Mohtffiqre,','goneral.manager of i^ , . the\Oeean''Accident and _Guar,a»teeXCorsp'rai -tionj Limitedv*ai_d:-*r- ! o6cction«9; (eonipensa- ; "tidn u for":'cet'tain disease's).:' ; There:should;be a -: .'provisibn do-not-k'now-'whSthfr •thera r .;' *lsM'atpr;,"pri4-fd»~ tKe'mtxlieal exnmiiißtioii of ; these.: mete :: ;has; tp^undergo•', a' .medical; examitatlorif a*3 ".'-■: does wishes.te insuro'his.life,;)ind. : l ; in cases liko ■this,'~wh*efo ilio Ve'iVefits -are, lafgerpifi Bdems 'tcTiaoithat there should be ■;'■ au'.arrangftnicnt ■jvhorpjby, imauj. claims ■• of a disease, the' employer should .; have the-right- to ascertain -whether the.man , waa.sound when he first employed him.. \".. '■■■■'■ ■-, ' -'' v H6n;:';Mr.;.MillarV.A's;.a; ma'ttorrof faqtv?-the ■~, only.diseasa included' hbre : which "is known to ' exist ..in New- Zealand to.any.iextont is pneii- "; ,•'■; moribniosiai^wJiich'; js! -by,tho dust: in a ■ ;■ quartz mine? , , '"';.' "'."*;.■.'".:,.,> Witness: Yes: '-71. . ; '.V 'i, Hotf. ; )Mr.',-3li!lari:s_goalfdiut does not bring . . '■■'} abput pneumoconiosis, which only exists in; : quartz mines in one"o'r two instances: it cari t be'pr-everii^^'aSeOfOWater'.'usedito.' keep > v ,tho.4u.sj>f.'dpwn?rr:).es r ..,i .• ■'. j r ~v .;■ -.'-.. J.; ■, Later'o'n, the" Minister s«id: : But I .there"are :/ : a; number..of .industries, in, which the. passing ; of.-tjiis not to any'.ex^eririricreasi}■■■'- v. the •premiums? "<i.»;:»>.. •:i:; : ;-:;(;a.T:f; , '.',-a-'■•-.; "-: : ■ The Monteiloroieplied^-With regard i&ihe miner's"disoa'se,.l cause \ ':'■'■ a' great increase ' in the ,pr,eraiums,.,.provided ■ ; that before, the men were employgd'tthey; , wore-me,dically-examined." ■;. I;do.:not,.think? ; : there would be many r jiew cases. The hia-s ' joritycofcsnoh oasos-is. where.-jnen havo :ponie ': from;, ofhor- par|s -from complaints. ':; The : chiof,feature, 'of coursq', , is".the increase in'the'aTnouhf;'frprn,'£3oQ;to. '£500; '' ■ ,-v The of Mr.' ■ 'J." H, Richardson, Government ■sAtc.iiietit In- v -suranco Commissioner •— , . . .-.-. •.:;,:' "Hon. Mr. Millar: Tlio "employers' of Vvork.; •-•'-- '-"'- ers provided' 1 foir-undor;;tliisf Act will pay a : :■ maximum increase of.-1.0 por cent, on oxist-v ■'•:'- J ,ing : :premiums? V : ; .'. -.'.., .-. ./ :,■;;:■:-■ T< Vfitnes"? CI think aft"; subject that as we go , ftlprig,"apart altoc<!thfir'frora- ;,; anything'.'iif-vthe -ActVS'itir nec'assar? '■■■'.:,; *to'lowj^r- ,; J'.aj.se-.^hevpjemiunis;.- i as l gaitt r ; : . ""■.'■ '■espeneicej'b'ut'' "mo w hbt" •«■''■'■'':■*

tbis Bill will increase the premiums by more than' 10 per cent, except in connection' with the- miners'- risk of pneumoconiosis, I cannot say what will bo the effect •of that. Tho rates, of minors may or may .not be more than ordinanly affected'by that-par-ticular disease." ' WAIKATO COAL MINES. ■ (DT TEUSOEAPH— PEES9 ASSOCIATION.) - • Auckland, January 2. The miners employed by .the Taupiri Coal Company, Ltd., received notioo on .ceasing work on Thursday that they would bo to; quired to undergo medical examination fore resuming work on Monday, January 4. A meeting of the Waikato Miners' Union was hold the same evening, when the following motion was passed, to be sent to the managor:—"That wo object to, and will not undergo, medical examination, as requested by the Taupiri Coal Company, Ltd. S\irthermore, we shall hold the company responsible for our wages whilst we are locked out pending decision of this matter."' POSITION AT WAIEQ. . Walhl, December 31.Tho tronblo being experienced in the south over the medical examination of miners*has so far not been felt ,horo, but it ,is anticipated that developments will eventuate next week.. The majority of the minors wore away on holiday when the point cropped up in the south, and, not having returned, tho position which they intend to take up has , not been discussed. It is authoritatively stated that the matter is now being considered by the companies' representatives, but no definite action will be taken until next week. Should any trouble arise here it would be very serious, in view of the large number of men employed underground., Medical examination of miners in tho-Waihi tnino alone would be an immense task.