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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 604, 2 December 1869, Page 2

(To tlie Editor of the Grey liiver Argus.) Sir — In your issue of to-day there appears a letter regarding the Brunner coal mine, and Mr Dent and Mr Batty, signed " George Young," and as I am now working in the miiifi and know all parts of it, I feel rather disgusted with the tenor of it, for of honor, truth, and virtue it is totally devoid, but it savors of malice and hatred throughout, and I never could believe that Mr Young would be guilty of writing such a defaming article. Now, Mr Editor, -with your permission I will tell you something of the other side of the question. I believe Mr Lowe, the Warden of the district, saw fit to make some alteration in the working of the mine, and appointed " Old Batty," as Mr Young calls him, as fireman instead of Mr J. Morris, who wjvs acting as fireman, laying rails, putting up stoppings, doors, air-ways, &c, <£c. ; and next Mr Lowe let a contract for trucking, and the other work which formerly depended on the fireman was done by day labor. By this alteration " Old Batty" i 3 fireman, and attends to the internal work of the mine, which formerly devolved on MrGascoigne, clerk of the mine, in the absence of the manager, Mr Dent. Many a complaint have I heard from the miners as to that gentleman's inability to manage the mine — in fact, a man is easily led to believe that there is nobody connected with the mine who understands anything about it except Mr Young. I shall pass over that part where the writer abused Mr Dent about displacing Mr Morris and appointing Mr Batty ; but I shall mention aboiit the burriing of Mr Broadford. As far as I know, Mr Batty was in Greymouth at the. time, and appointed, before leaving, a Mr Tait, who is

well qualified to act as fireman, to go round in his stead if Mr Batty was not up in time. Mr Tait went and reported to Mr Broadford that there was gas in his place, and that he should beat it well out. Broadford went with his safety-lamp and did as told by Mr Tait, but did not take time enough -just lighting his candle when the gas returned. By so doing the gas fired, and Broadford himself admitted that it was his own fault in getting burned. This ought to have been enough ' to dismiss or imprison " Old Batty." Now cornea a great crime of "Old Batty." He took whisky and ale and a party of strangers into the mine, and gave some drink to men who were working in the mine, contrary to the rulesj not of the mine then. This was never reported to Mr Lowe till Mr Young brought it to light in jour columns. Being afraid of encroaching too much on your space I beg leave to make one more remark, and that is when the writer spea'<s of Mr Morris he ought to take a pattern by that gentleman and do his work as well as he did, and then he will be able to stand on his own bottom. I am, &c, Theod. Ranft. Brunnerton, Nov. 30. [Owing to the peculiar phraseology adopted by the writer of the above, we have been compelled to excise a considerable portion of it. A plain (Statement of facts would have been more convincing to the general public, and would have better suited a subject of such moment than the careless tone adopted by the writer. — Ed. J