THE Grey River Argus FUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1863, 25 July 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus FUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1874.

A most important and. 'much -needed, measure for the Regulation of Mines has been introduced by the Minister of Public Works. It consists of seven parts and contains in all 41 clauses. Part I. relates to the proclamation of districts by the Governor, and the appointment of inspectors and other necessary officers, and con-, tains a restriction that no land agent can act as an inspector. Part 2 prescribes the general rules to be obrerved in every mine; they are twenty- four. in number, and may be briefly described as follows' :— Within two years after the commence.ment of the working of "any boards, stalls, or longwall workings," at least two separate openings to the surface of the mine, and communicating with each other, must be made, by which means the persons employed in the mine can at all times pass in or out. . A penalty of ten pounds for every month these openings remain uncompleted is imposed upon the owner of the mine, but. this rule is not to apply if • not more than ten persons are employed below ground at any one time in the whole of the different seams in connection with each outlet in such mine or working. Provision is made for enforcing an adequate amount of ventilation. Gunpowder is only to be employed under certain conditions — for instance, it 'must not be taken into the mine in a case or canister containing more than 4lb, and no greater quantity than sufficient for three days' work can be stored in the mine at one • time. If other explosive substances are used they must not be taken into the mine in greater quantity than when ignited would have an explosive force of more than 4lb of gunpowder. Only one case or canister is to be used at one time by any workman. No-iron or steel "pricker" is to be used in charging holes for blasting, nor can an iron or steel tamping-rod be. used either for ramming the wadding or the first part of the tamping, or stemming on the powder. Charges of powder that have missed fire are not to be unrammed. Propsr -means of signalling between the stopping-places and the ends of every underground plane of more than 30 yards in length, worked by machinery or selfacting, are to be provided as well as manholes at 20 yards intervals as places of refuge. Sufficient spaces are also to be provided in horse-roads, at. least 3ft in width, between the waggons running on the tramroad and the side of the road. Entrances to shafts are to be properly fenced, and shafts, drives, and excavations of every kind secured. Where one portion of a shaft is used for the ascent or descent of persons, and another for raising material the first portion must be secured fenced off or cased off from the other. Proper, signalling apparatus is to be provided for communicating with the bottom of the shaft, arid strong ladders where no machinery is used for lowering or raising persons in the shaft. A single linked chain shall not be used tor raising or lowering persons, and provision is to be made preventing the slipping of ropes or drums; for breaks . and . indicators. Where a ladder is used for the ascent; or descent of a shaft substantial platforms are to be constructed at intervals of not more than .40ft. No person under'! 18 years of age is to have charge of any steam engine, boiler^ or other mechanical power used in connection with the working of any mine, and no person so employed shall work more than eight hours in any one day as an ordinary day's work. All exposed and dangerous- parts of machinery are. to; be, kept securely fenced. .Efficient guages are to be affixed to boilers and safety-valves. Provision is made against wilful damage to any of the appliances provided by the Act, and in every working in a mine approaching a place likely to contain a dangerous amount of water boring rods shall be kept. for the purpose of perforating the ground, in the advance of such , ' working. The last regulation makes it compulsory for the manager or person in charge of any mine carefully to examine once a week the buildings and machinery and the condition of the mine itself, and record in a book to be kept for the purpose hi 3 opinion as to their condition and safety, any repairs that may be considered necessary, and what repairs, if any, that have been made during the week. Part 3 contains provisions specially affecting coal-mines. — Where wages to persons employed in a coal-mine are paid by weight, the coal shall be truly weighed, but deductions may be made in respect of stones or other material which may be Bent of the mice with the coal, or in respect, of any tubs, baskets, or buckets improperly filled, such deductions to be made by the banksman or weigher. The men may employ a check-weigher. on their own account, and every facility is to be afforded him by the owner or manager of .the mine. Similar provision is made for cases- where the men are paid by measure, and the. Weights and Measures Act is to apply to all weights -used in mines in like manner as it applies to weights used for the sale of any article. i Part 4'- relates 'to -tine employment of women, young persons, and children. It prohibits the employment of any boy under thirteen years of age and auy woman or girl in any mine under ground, and provides that no boy under sixteen years of age shall be employed for more than eight hours in any one day, or fortyeight hours in any one week. Women, and children above ten years of age, may be employed above ground, but not between the hours of seven at night and six o'clock on the following morning, or after two o'clock on Saturday afternoon or on Sunday. Every child employed on any colliery must attend school for at least twenty hours in every two weeks during which such .child is employed, a certificate to which /ejEfect must be obtained by the employer from the principal teacher of some school.- " Forging or counterfeiting a certificate is punishable with three months' imprisonment ; and every parent or guardian who wilfully fails -to cause a

child to attend school in accordance with the Act will be liable to a penalty of £5 for each offence. The non-attendance at school may, however, be excused in some cases ; for instance, where the nearest school is' more'' than two miles distant from the child's home." A register must be kept at each mine containing the name, age, residence, and date of first employment of all boys under sixteen employed in the mine, and of all women}young persons, and children employed above ground, and a memorandum of the schoolmaster's certificate of the school attendance of such child. No person under eighteen years of age is to have charge of any portion of the . workings or machinery; except in case of a windlass, being worked by au animal the driver nray be twelve years of age and upwards. Con* travention of the provisions of the Ac b relating to tlie employment of persons will be treated as offences against the Act rind be punished accordingly. Part 5 prescribes the powers and duties of "Inspectors.. They are to ascertain the state and condition of all mines and collieries, to obtain plans of workings, report all accidents and breaches of the Act, and report every discovery of metals, coals, or other minerals on any Crown lands. They are empowered to enter and inspect any mine at any reasonable time of day or night, but not so as to impede the workings ; to make full inquiries concerning the workings, ventilation, and condition of the mine, the state of the machinery and so on, -arid the owner or manager of the mine/must furnish every facility for such examination and enquiry. • It is the duty of the inspector- to give notice of all defects to the owner or mauager of any mine, and if they are nou remedied within fourteen days, the owner or manager will be guilty of an offence against the Act; Provision, however, is mude for the submission of disputed questions- to arbitration conducted in the usual mapner, with the. condition that every person, who is appointed an arbitrator or umpire, must be a practical mining engineer,, or a person accustomed to the working of mines;Part 6 provides for penalties, which vary from one pound to or imprisonment for various periods; all penalties being recognisable in a summary way; and Part 7 deals with miscellaneous matters, some of which we may mention : —Any accident occurring in 1 any mine shall be pri/ma facie evidence that it occurred through some negligence on the part of the owner, or some defect in the management, ventilation, or machinery of the mine. No wages to any person employed .on any mine are to be paid at any public-house or any office contiguous thereto, any breach of which regulation renders the owner of the mine liable to a penalty, of £100. If any person be injured in a mine or killed- through any non-observance of the provisions of the Act, the owners may be sued against .for compensation, and, any damage obtained will be made a first charge against the mine and mining plant. All salaries of Inspectors of Mines, and all other expenses of carrying out the Act, are to bre borne by the Provinces in which it may be brought into operation. It is most probable that the Bill will undergo considerable alteration. It. has been framed evidently for application, chiefly to quartz-mining, as far as mining is concerned ; at any rate, it is not entirely applicable to ordinary alluvial mining,, but some legislation of the kind has long been necessary, and it is to be" hoped that a really useful but not oppressive measure will be the result.