LAKE COLERIDGE STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1554, 25 September 1912, Page 6

LAKE COLERIDGE STRIKE.

STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT. THE POSITION EXPLAINED. In the Hou'o of Representatives yestor. dav afternoon, Mr. T. 11. Davcy (Christchurch East) asked the Minister for Public Works what was the position in connection with the recent complaints uf the men employed at the Lake Coleridge hydro-electric works. The Hon. W. Eraser dealt categorically with the allegations. One complaint was that the men were compelled to gel their meals and board from the contractor at a restaurant he had established. That statement was untrue. The' secretary of the union himself stated that was untrue. The idea, for some reason or other, had arisen in the minds of the men, but there was no reason for it; tlir>y could do as they liked about board. It'was true, howler,- that it was difficult for them to board anywhere else at first, because of the difficulty in getting stores. When tho butcher, the baker, and tho grocer appeared on the scene that difficulty was removed, and the men were able to arrange their own batches. It appeared to be the case that at first the fuod wag not as good as it might have been, and that the chnrgc was a little too high for what (lie men got. That was a matter in regard to which tho Department could not.interfere, as tho men wero not employed by the Government. In regard to the boiler, the report of the Inspector of Machinery was that though it was an old one, it was perfectly safe and sound, but scarcely large enough, and another was being ordered. In regard to the shaft, instructions had been given to have any defect remedied. Complaint had been made that the engineer was not a certificated man, but here again tho Government could not interfere, because the work was not done under the Mining Act, and there was no necessity for a certificate. Tho inspectors were, however, instructed to see that tho engineer in charge was a ma.n competent to do the work properly. , In regard to the strike again the partment could not interfere. It was purely a matter between the contractor and his employees. Ho had received a telegram that day from tho contractor asking what he was to do about it, and had told him that tho Department could not interfere. The brake power on the winding gear, though in the first instance reported to be effective and easily controlled, had proved to be effective only up to a certain point. The other day ho had received a sensational telegram about it from a gentleman named Campbell, as follows:—"Cage in shaft fell 100 feet, Monday night. Nobody killed. When, will Government investigate?" The facts proved to be that two trucks with gravel in them fell through being over-weighted to- nn extent that made the friction-clutch ineffective. There were no men in tho cages, and the weight of the men would not have been sufficient to causo an ncci* dent. So there was no question about (heir safety. These matters, however, had all been looked into, and instructions given that tho whole thing should be made safe. As bo the strike, it appeared that the contractors dismissed tho enginedriver about whom the union had com* plained because he had no certificate. They now insisted upon his reinstatement, and struck because this had Mb been agreed to. The labourers also re- ; fused to work with tho carpenters unless the latter joined tho Labourers' Union.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Chrlstchurch, September 24. Tha men employed on Lake Coleridge works are still on strike. Although no (rouble amongst the men is anticipated, the precaution lins been taken to send two constables to the scene of the strike to maintain order. Mr. Patterson (secretary of the General Labourers' Union) received a letter from Mr. H. A. CampMl (organiser) dealing with tho state of affairs on the contract, but.did not feel justified in making tha contents public until the mntler cainfl before the.executive of Jhe;.u.MOn. ;;j \ furtliei'.development has.taken.place. The men want two .carpenters dismissed who worked yesterday, and are throntojw ing to handle them roughly.