MINERS’ PHTHISIS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4856, 22 July 1925, Page 1

MINERS’ PHTHISIS.

INCREASED pensions. A LABOUR MEMBER’S BILL. lai introducing the Miners’ Phthisis Bill in the House of Representatives Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) stated that there were very few doctors in the Dominion who- had had practical experience of the treatment •of the disease, but what was taking place at the present time was that conflicting certificates >v’ere given oy medical men. The Bill made provision for those suffering from miners’ complaint irrespective of how it was contracted, and power, was given for the appointment' of a medical referee, who, he urged, should be thoroughly' experienced. The pension of the single man would be raised from £1 5s to £2 a week, with medical comforts, and a married man would receive £1 for his wife and 10s for each child under sixteen. In South Africa the law made separate provision for a wife, and there a miner with a wife and six children would, if he was suffering from the disease, receive about £3O a month. Provision was made for other benefits, and generally the Bill was signed to afford adequate compensation to the miner and his dependants. Mr T. W; Rhodes (Thames) commended to the attention of the Minister for Mines several of the clauses in the Bill, and suggested that some of them were worthy of adoption. Alternatively, he urged the giving of wider discretionary powers to magistrates, so that' miners’ dependants might be put on a better basis. Mr H. Poland (Ohinemuri) said he did not think the member for Auckland Central could expect his Bill to go thrpugh this session. The compensation provided for in the Bill wws less than was awarded in other countries. The Government was making an absurdly small contribution to the compensation paid at present, and he expressed the opinion that it would not affect the financial stability of the country to give a more reasonable pension.

Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) and Mr J. Horn (Wakatipu) also supported the measure. The latter speakei - said that in- South Africa the miners were medically examined monthly, and if a man was found to be suffering from miners’ phthisis he was put off from Work and received a full pension. The man himself made no claim ; and the medical examiners simply made their report.

Mr R. P. Hudson (Motueka) pleaded with the Government to relax the present system to some extent and recognise the common-sense view that where there was no .doubt that death took place from pneumonia or other disease as a result of his occupation, notwithstanding the medical evidence, full consideration should’ be given, to the miner’s dependants. Cases of hardship were referred to by Mr H. E. Holland (Buller), who supported the request for additional provision. “Is the miner any worse off than hundreds of others who are dying of other diseases 1” asked the Minister (the Hon. G. J. Anderson), after denying that he was unsympathetic. He said he trusted that he would be spared to have a law placed bn the Statute Book which would not only deal with miners but others as well. “This session ?” asked Mr Holland. “No, in the sweet by and by,” suggested Mr A. L. Monteith (Wellington East). “The actuaries are working on it to-day,” said Mr Anderson, referring to his contributory pensions scheme. It was a huge question, and miners’ phthisis was only touching the fringe of it. From the pension point of view, he remarked, the miner was treated better in New Zealand than any other man. He did not think it advisable to leave it to the Minister or an officer of the department to have the deciding voice in regard to pensions, and he thought it should be left at the discretion of magistrates. The Bill was read a first time.