MINING AMENDMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 54, 26 November 1937, Page 6

MINING AMENDMENT

Press Associfttion.)

Consolidating Bill Before ihe House / MEDICAL SAFEGUARDS

tB| "Telegraph

WELLINGTON, TMa Day. Tte Mining Amendment Bill was fntroduced by Governor-General's message in th.e House of Representatives fco-day. The Miiiister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. .Webb, in explaining the measure, said it was & consolidating Bill .that confained four or five new provisions whi.ch. iad been adopted as the result of a' (Bonference between the Mines Departjaent and those .engaged in the mining jndustry. Steps had been taken to safeguard the health of the men. Youths f>£ 16 would be allowed to work in yiiiwini mines, as the dust menace did sot exist there. The Bill provided for the medical gsamination of men" before they were jdlowed underground. Provision' was (dso made £ or the examination of #ngiae-dfivers once a year. Much mining phthisis had been jfcraced to early entry to a working f ace ' fcfter a blast, said the Minister, and he proposed to make it compulsory for jninersx to stay.away from a face for]30 minutes after blasting. During that time the faee was to be sprayed with jrater to lay dust. Another proposal, said the ' Minister, }*as 1 0 make it a criminal oflenee to l/salt" a mine. The Bill was xead the first time, also |he seeond time pro forma, and was yeferred to th.e Gol.d&elds and Mines' jCommittee. The Bill itself states that any person , jfho deliberately 1 ' salts ' ' an area, is. Jiable to imprisonment for five years or « fine of £500. The Bill contains 42 clauses. One amendment allows a little more latitude ia -regard to applications for licences by Tequiring notice of intention to apply f or a new licence to be given not less than three days, instead of seven, before the expiry of ihe old licence. The Bill clarifies ' the procedure in eonnection with - the acquisition and transfer of water rights, and another provision overcomes difficulties regarding the registration of transfers. . In the section -of the Bill de'aling with considerations of personal safety, it ig laid down that the mine manager •hall exercise daily personal super-J .vision of the mine and that the battery . superintendent shall likewise super'vise Ihe battexy. No person engaged in , trueking, timbering, or winning ore' is to work alone on a level, the object being that, in the event of a .man meeting with an accident, there shall be another man at hand to give a. call for assistance. At present, all xevenue derived from mining licences is paid to.local bodies in oxder to cover the cost of collection, . The State is in futnre to receive . a eommission of 10 per cent.