A WARNING TO THE NELSON GOVERNMENT.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 427, 8 October 1868, Page 2

A WARNING TO THE NELSON GOVERNMENT.

(To the Editor of the Grey River Argus. J Sir — In supplying the requirements of a civilised people, it is necessary that some men should be engaged in trades and occupations of a highly dangerous nature, and it is one of the first duties of an enlightened Government to afford every possible protection to those who have to risk their lives for the public good. The records of public calamities contain nothing more frightful than the accounts ofcatastroph.es which occasionally occur in coal mines from the explosion of fire damp. It has long been, the humane practice of Governments in almost every part of the world to guard against the dangers which necessarily attend the occupation of the miner, by providing and enforcing stringent rules for the working of mines, and by this nieana the danger has been reduced to a minimum ; but, incredible as it may appear, we have in this neighborhood an example of a directly contrary course of procedure on the part of a Government. Your readers will probably have difficulty in believing that the Nelson Government are actually at the present time, and have for a long time past, been woiking the Brunner Mine with public funds knowing that it is in a most dangerous state, that serious accidents have occurred, and that a frightful calamity may be expected at any time. I say that they are doiug this knowingly, for whilst the mine was being worked by a private company the Government mining engineer, Mr Burnett, condemned certain parts of the mine as unsafe, and interdicted the company from working them, yet no sooner does the Government enter upon the works and adopt the extraordinary course of carrying them on themselves, than they disregard all warning and set men to work in i the very drives which they had lesn warned against, and in which an accident had already occurred. The inevitable I result has been that no less than three ii! ore explosions have taken place. In one, which occurred four months ago, a miner named M'Gee was burnt ; six weeks ago another explosion resulted in serious injury to a man named Lindsay, and within the last few days a further explosion has taken place, and the men employed have narrowly escaped being blown to pieces. Had these explosions occurred in a mine worked by a private company, there is no doubt that an enquiry would have been instituted, and in the event of carelessness being proved against the managers, a serious charge would have been brought against them, and in the event of loss of life they would be subject to be tried for manslaughter ; but the Nelson Government seem perfectly rscklesa in the matter. No precautions whatever are taken to insure safety, and they persist in working a foul mine without any proper regulations, and with the Bole object of getting coal at the lowest possible cost without regard to the lives of those employed by them. Some of the men have refused to work

any longer at tbe risk of their lives, but others who baye wives and families to provide for are tempted to continue an occupation, jn which, through the recklessness of those to whom they have a right to look for protection, they are daily subjected to the most frightful of all calamities. - - • As a crowning instance of the heartless conduct of the Government, I may mention that the men who have been injured have received no compensation, whatever for their wounds and loss of work. To those of your readers who have any knowledge of mining, it will be sufficient to mention as an instance of the way in which the mine is being worked, that one of the main drives has now been extended to a length of 250 yards without any upcast, air-course, bratticing, dam-doors., or other means of ventilation ! 1 hope, Sir, that you will be induced, by the statement of these facts, to raise your voice in the cause of humanity, and by throwing the broad light of publicity into the Brunner mine, wiU shame the Government into taking proper precautions for securing the safety of those employed by them, lam, &q., A Mor^p.