THE LATE MINING TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 434, 17 February 1909, Page 5

THE LATE MINING TROUBLE.

A BRITISH VIEW. The "Glasgow Herald" of January .4 last dealt editorially , with;the':trouble in the.'New .Zealand coal mines. . Its article is as follows:— ,;'./ . :;: : /:,/ :.:w; ...Tho New-Yc3r ;begins with an industrial trouble;.in New:/Zealand;of peouliar,interest, to this. country.■ /; Tho coal miners throughout tho . Dominion ; aro preparing to go ;oh 'strike, i/iiot on ,/a - question of wages,'/but against 'the : precaution talfen.'by/ ;the/ ; em-. ?loyers'. .under'the .Employers!-. Liability: Act., n. effect,'' then, the; meu.'*ai;e': violating /one /labour;, law -in^order/\te ;evade'//the coiise/; quehces.'of,,: another law, devised in the interests /of labour. .Tho- mine-owners have .been to . pay/compensation/to all sufferers from; lung -and. chest : ailihentsi ; -As -•'Uijnefß''''ara';.BbmQ>vhat'-liab]e"' l t6'' : tlie|seTt'rbubiGS : . th'o employers claim "th<> right to havo a /medical; examination; of /'all; workers' /before. 'they. ; engage I.thorn. * The miners .'resist/this demand, and are organising themselves .tostrike if. it is insisted 011, as they .declare it is a now method of - striking 'a blow alt. . tho/'rights/of .trade-unionism, v.ln /whatjrer' spebt. the principles .of / trade/unionismare /involved, is: not; apparent to the/ ordinary eye, 'but; tho minors seem / determined to" 'exercise all the force of / '.trade; .'unionism: against tho attempt of tho employers to safeguard/.themselves, frombeing'., victimised by diseased workmen claimiaig the privileges of/.the healthy'.;- Against.-the,oasualtios of: industry our own laws now inako quite proper proyision/ to/ protect our workpeople, but . tho'/casualties of industry do not ; . involve/,thd risks to an invalid workman engag-; iug in work that may be peculiarly hurtful to him though not to. a normally, healthy man, i; If employers aro to bo liable for compensation to men Who incur/''industrial diseases'V /in -tho course of. 1 their employment they/'.a'rei/cert'ainlyentitled ;tb .reject /the, em'ployment /of -men/.already diseased. If this /right is against the principles of trade 'unionism,/then trade unionism means not the'organisation but tho of labour. . The Miners' /'/ Federation /of : New.;- Zealand : refuso : to allow j.heir members .to'.submit--'to a; medical exannjjation to show whether or not they are free from any of-the diseases' for which they, can claim compensation; That all/very, well, and they might maintain .this attitude,* which / employers would have /to meet' as/best they could; but a threat 'of a general strike/' of - all the' coal-miners ,in; the' Dominion in order to coerce the mine-owner is/a;'different story. And,the mino-oWncrs, be •it noted, : include tho State, for in Now : Zealand;the 'State has entered into ,'co'al'mining ;as well-as. into other "progressive" enterprises. 'The dilemma of; the Government as employers as well a 6 legislators must be extreme in this matter. . ilow aro they to .treat State; employees : who join in /a.//strike/ ■against-the-natural and rational consequences of - a State Act of legislation p. The latestGovernment Arbitration Bill,- moreover, was designed to prohibit and penalise strides, and especially, dovised_ special penalties. in : respcot .'-to strikes, in any; indnstry, ■; for:•' •instanoo,' for tho ;manfifacture :br ■ supply of coal gas, tho retail sale or delivery of coal for .'domestic'or industrial purposes', and-any •indnstry. or:occupation: that affects the publio .health or/safety. Clearly a multitude of oouneillprs dods not bring peace in the industrial/world of/oiir most, democratic coWny../