" VENGEANCE"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 35, 5 November 1919, Page 3

" VENGEANCE"

•A RECENT MINING STOPPAGE. Mr. Holland asked flip Minister of Labour in (:1m House of Representatives yesterday whether lie would instruct tbe Labour Department to tal;e proceedings in connection ivitli tlie recent stoppages of work at Pul;emiro and Nightcaps mines. Mr. Holland gave an account of the circumstances which had precrded tho stoppages of work, and declared thai the lilame was on the manager for irregular conduct. Most stress was laid on the Pnkeniiro case, where, it was [alleged, tlio manager liad refused tlie men's inspector the Tight to enter some, old workings. The manager had done this, and when the Department's insnoetor inspected tho placo ho found in the workings a high percentage of "black damp" (carbonic acid gas, a gas which is poisonous or asphyxia ling if breathed, but not combustible). The stoppage of work had occurred when tho men's inspector was not allowed to enter the workings. As the question was one affecting the Minister of Mines rather than the Minister of Labour. Sir William Eraser replied to it. He said that the demand made by (ho men at PukemiTo to the mine manager was ono which the manager thought at the time he was entitled to resist. Ho allowed men to go into these workings, and it was then that the other men went out and. stopped work. Tho manager thought he was acting within his rights, and acting in tins wrong belief, ho resisted the demand of the men. But now the miners were astir." in a vengeful spirit that tho mine 'manageV be prosecuted. There was nothing to justify such a course. .No harm had "been done to anybody. If a mine mnnager had intentionally and ' determinedly broken the law, tlie position won Id have been different. He had not done anything of the kind. What would oe the result of such an action Mnch to allow the men to take vengeance on the mine manager. ~,,„, Mr. Holland: Ton have no right to say that. He declared that there had been danger to life in the mine. The Minister said that there had been no serious danger to. life There ad been no explosive gas m the working* Tho Minister made no referenco whatever to the Nightcaps case.