PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 4 November 1914, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

COAL MINES BILL. | MORE ABOUT THE HUNTLY DISASTER. COOK ISLANDS LAWS. SESSION MAY END TO-NIGHT. The Legislative Council met at 11 a.m. - < ' The Mining Amendment Bill, and the 'Coal Mines Amendment Bill were introduced from the House of Eepresentatives; and read a first time. , Before moving the second readings the Hon. H. D. Bell said that he would not have asked the Council to pass such measures at that late date of tho session, had the Bills not contained certain provisions," which were essential from certain, points of view,, but he was not quite certain that the present Mining Act did not provide for all the provisions contained in the two Bills.

MINING AMENDMENT BILL. MINERS' DISEASE. The Hon. H. D. BELL moved the second reading of the Mining Amendment Bill, and explained its provisions. The Hon. S. T. GEORGE said that the • Bill was a very good . one.. He spoke of "pin-pricks" in the Bill, and. referred to Clause 29 which made it' compulsory that engine-drivers should be medically examined at the expense of the mine-owners. The "pin-pricks" were doing a lot of harm in retarding the opening-up' of new mines. Gold mining was very, precarious, he said, and he instanced the fact that during the last! thirty' j ears he had hold hundreds of thousands of shares in hundreds of companies, but from only three companies had ho Teceived dividends. If compensation was to be paid for pneumoconiosis it would have to be paid by the State.' He drew attention to 'the fact that the pump on, the Thames gold-fields was going to stop. That would mean the end of the Thames goldfield, for they would be flooded out.. The Government owned that pump,' and it was 'worked by the Drainage Board. He suggested the Government should pass an apt taking away from -the companies on the Thames flat the land below the thousand'foot level, and water free the land above the thousand foot level. A company could be formed to takeover, the whole : flat, and .the Government could hand over the pump.to that new company. The inducements. to • take up i the flat land were very great. He held that it was a very important thing, for the pump, once stopped, the miners wculd be ruined. ■ •

The Hon. W. EARNSHAW congratulated the Government on what he considered was a distinct advance in mining legislation..- ■>■ .Tho : . Hon. J. BARR; said that -he agreed that something. should bo done to pay compensation for pneumoconiosis. He agreed that it should bo done by the .State, but. .the mine-owners should have to pay, under a State supervision that .would prevent unfair treatment to any particular mino, as rc)>arded.payments. ,'. ■ The Hon. A. T. MAGINNITY; thought that the' Government had taken evory precaution to guard the interests of the working men-on the-mines:;

Th©: Hon.: H. D'. BELL said that he would take steps to bring the'matter ,or the Thames goldfields under the notice of the Minister .of Mines.. The difficulty of paying compensation for miner's disease was that it.might .be contracted in one mine, and not be discovered until it broke out in another mine, where" the liability would then rest. The only way .to get over it would b6 medical examination qn signing on in a new mine; but the miners objected to medical examination, and looked on it as a personal indignity. Personally, he .thought the disease; should bo placed in the ,samo category ,m accidents;, but-the peculiar point of View of the men on the matter was the bar to a suitable and fair settlement. If it was made a matter.of 'the individual mine there would be a tendency on the 'part of men with the disease to transfer to the.more solvent mine, so as to be sure of their compensation.. The matter, had 'been'-pressing upon those who had. the control of the country in their hands, and there was a fund started, as a tax, on the mining industry, which, was restricted to -paying compensation for. pneumoconiosis. Unfortunately, that fund was not solvent now.' Probably the tax would have to bo increased, and probably also ; • a subvention would be required from the State. He was expressing his individual opinion, but he spoke for the Government when he said they intended" to submit some further proposal to Parliament with regard to it. t The Bill was read-a second time, reported from Committee with a-machin-ery amendment to Clause, 17, read a third time, and passed.

GOAL MINES BILL. ' The Hon: H.jD. BELL moved the second reading of the Coal Mines Amendment Bill'. All the provisions, ho said, wero with a view of strengthening the' regulations for the safety of the; miners. : . ' \ The Hon. J. BARE said that ho had fouiid ■ no expressions of dissatisfaction from the workers themselves with the provisions of the Bill—it had been the other way. ' Although the Bill had come down at a late date, it would apr pear that those personally interested had found nothing to object to in it. ■ The Bill: was read a second time. ' In Committee, ~: . The Hon; J. MacGregor moved ah amendment to Clause 6. That clause provided that a miner" should not bo put in charge of any place in a mine unless ho was of the ago of 21 years or upwards,; and had had,at least three years' experience in underground coalmining, ■ of which , at least one year should have been at the face with an experienced coal-minor. Mr. MacGregor's 'now clause was to provide, that Clause 6 should not apply in the case of any mine during the continuance of a strike therein.' , The new clause met with considerable opposition. It was contended that inexperienced'men should not be put in; responsible positions at any time. The Hon. 'H. D. Bell said that, he could .not accept the clause. - Mineojvncrs have to protect themselves by .having competent men available for an emergency. , ' . The amendment was negatived on the voice*. •'■:_• i The Hon. J. MacGregor moved , a further amendment, to increase the total number, of men .ordinarily' employed in aiiy ventilating district trom 'fifty lo seventy. ■ • ~ ~ -, ~ The Hon. H. D. Bell said that the Commission had reported that no_more than fifty' should bo employed, without the written consent of the inspector, tie could not, therefore, accept the amendment. : .' ■ ■■ ' The amendment was negatived on the voices. •.•■■• . •' .-. : , The clause relating to the use of siafetx lames was a™^ in obo »ar-

ticular, allowing inspectors tbo right to authorise open lamps. , The Bill was reported with amendments, read a third time,' and passed. NATIVE LAND BILLS, The Native Land Amendment "Bill, and the Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill were' introduced from tho House of Representatives and put through all stages and passed. THE EDUCATION BILL. ; The; amendments of tho Governor fa the Education Bill were agreed' to., THE WASHING-UP BILL. The Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies' Empowering Bill (the Washing-up Bill) was received from the House, and read a second time, pro forma. Tho Council toso at 11.25 p \ till 10 o'clock this morning. ■■>