AN UNFAIR ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2297, 3 November 1914, Page 4

AN UNFAIR ATTACK

The debate upon the Coal Mines Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives last night -was used by a section of the Opposition Party to cover a political attack that was both vindictive and unfair. It was suggested by Mr. WiLFORp and some other members that the Government, on account of delay in bringing down the Bill, was in some degree responsible for the catastrophe at Huntly, which occasioned the loss of 43 lives. This charge was certainly not sustained, but if the debate served no other purpose it exposed most thoroughly the bitter and unjust spirit in which tho charge was formulated. In their unedifying attempt to make party political capital out of tho disaster Mr. "VVilford, and those who followed his lead relied greatly upon that type of wisdom which is so remarkably easy after the event; but a calm survey of the facts will, satisfy any impartial person that their case was as hollow as their motives were partisan. It is perfectly true that the passage of tho Coal Mines Bill has been postponed from the beginning of the present Parliament almost to its end, but apart from the fact that the. Bill has gained vastly additional importance since tho disaster occurred the delay is easily accounted'for. Tho Bill was postponed in 1912, owing to pressure of business, along with a great part of the Government's programme. In 1013 it and other measures were delayed in the first instance because of the senseless and long-continucd obstructions in , which the Opposition indulged, and in the later months of the year by the strike. This' latter event made it imposßiblo to proceed with the Coal Mines Bill,

because the miners who were required as witnesses were out on strike, and the whole industry was disorganised. This year the Bill, like many others, was delayed in the disorganisation of Parliamentary business resulting from the outbreak of war, but the Prime Minister stated last evening that the Bill was on the Cabinet table when the disaster occurred. Apart from these facta the statement of the Minister of Mines that the passage of the Bill would not have averted the accident is backed by an overwhelming weight of testimony. The present law empowers an Inspector of Mines to summarily withdraw the men from any mine considered dangerous. So far as this section of the law is concerned the present Bill will merely abolish the right of mine-owners, in such circumstances, to appeal to ■ a Oourt of Arbitration. This is affirmed by the SolicitorGeneral. As to safety-lamps the Boyal Commission- which investigated the disaster laid it down that the existing law gave power to enforce their use. It istnerefore easy to agree with the Hon. R. M'Kenzie, who stated in the House last night (when it was suggested that the passage of the Bill would have averted the accident) that the passage "of the Bill would have made no differ-' ence. _ Mr. M'Kenzie was Minister of Mines in the Ward Government, and he undoubtedly knows a great deal more about mining than Messrs. Wilford, Russell, and some other members who so recklessly attacked tho Government last night for party ends. There is no need to traverse here in detail Mr. Frasee's communications with' his Department. on tha subject of the Huntly \ mine 3. The broad facts clearly established are that until very recently the officials of the Department regarded the Huntly mines as perfectly safe, and while it is true that latterly gas ignitions causing injury to workmen had been reported there is nothing to indicate that the officials of the Department realisod the full gravity of the position. It was only about a couple of months before the catastrophe of September that the occurrence of accidents was brought under the notice of the Minister, and ho then acted promptly upon such'' recommendations as were made. More drastic action by the officials of the Mines Department might conceivably have averted the disaster, but the matter naturally wears a very different aspect now to that which it did at the time when the danger of such an untoward event was only partly realised. The Opposition, in Peeking to make party capital out of a disaster of this nature, does itself little credit. If amendment of the law was so urgently called, for, ;how comes it that the Waed Government failed for so many years in its duty in-this direction?