THE QUARTZ MINERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 23, 22 October 1920, Page 8

THE QUARTZ MINERS

DRASTIC SUGGESTION BY A COMMITTEE

IDLE MINERS ENTITLED TO WAGES

Soma' quartz miners have stopped work in New Zealand because the mining companies have "not installed water-feed drills within the period stipulated by'the Mining Amendment Act, of last year. These drilis _are required to protect the miners from the dust that causes pneumoconiosis, or miners' disease. It Ims been suggested in the House -of Representatives that the mining companies have not all made really earnest efforts to get the drills installed. The Goldfields and -Mines Committee, in returning the new Mining Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives yesterday, added the following recommendation:—"That iu vWw of the fact that the companies are responsible fur tlio failure to carry out the provisions of Eection 7, sub-section 2, of the Mining Amendment Act, 1919 (requiring the use of water drills), the committee is of opinion that the mincowners should pay the mir.eis' wages rfor the .time they liave been idle in cases where the mines ceased work for the purpose of securing compliance with the requirements of the Act."

The Prime Minister remarked that the House has no jurisdiction at all in u matter of this kind. The resolution of the committee was merely an expression of opinion. The resolution had been adopted by a majority, but tho House could not decide what the miners or mineowners were to do. His own Sesiro was to see the miners back at work as noon as possible.

CAMP CASE RECALLED

INQUIRY INTO ALLEGATIONS. The petition of H. H. Thompson, who was sentenced to imprisonment by a court-martial during the war for accusing a certain military doctor of drunkonuesß, was mentioned again in the House of Jtt'Wwiwitatives yesterday. A committee had recommended that Thompson should be compensated, in view of the fact time his accusation hud been found subsequently to be well founded. Mr. Yeiteh (Wanpnui) naked what tlio Government intended to do. Tho Prime Minister stated .that the nutter had been More Cabinet, and a special tribunal was to bo set up to inquire into the allegations mado jji connection with this case.

GOVERNMENT HOMES. "

BUILDING TRADES FEDERATION MAKES AN OFFER, "Has the Minister of Labour received a communication from the Wellington Building Trades Federation offering to supply the-labour necessary for any possible extension of the Government building: scheme at Miromar?" asked by Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) in the House yesterday. The member asked also when the Housing Bill was to bo' introduced. Sir William Herries stated, in' reply that, tho Housing. Bill was still in the hands of the draftsman. He hoped that it would be ready in the near future. The letter from tho Building Trades Federation had been received, and had been referred to the Departmental housing experts, who would advise if the proposal made was nracticable and desirable.