Blackball Ventilation.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 82, 4 October 1912, Page 5

Blackball Ventilation.

WRETCHED CCfNpitlONd.

COAL MINES A(3f ItfiQUlkE- '

MBNI6.

Th£ following tetter ha« teeeti sl&t te tie Prime Minister : M

SirV-On Septeinfor $ aM 10 a '£&&■ b* , of fls«i toad td iewfe w»fc 4a4 '**> turn home on account of &6k «f *& til certain places in the tijinet TMy , k*& ■J#svfc6«y «&ihplain«*i td t|6 initoj ■officials, tmt ffeei* hM fee& no effet*.

On leaving work the fflea Teportdß. the mattef to ths mim, and tfee ohedk inspectors were instructed to mate ail inspection of the places". were then niade by the pWikterit 0f t&is union, the mine manager, tod the cheefc inspectors that fibe chddk inspector!, «ocompanied by the mine should make an inspection on tfe* alternoon of the llth, and another dn the morning of the 12th if the first inspection was not satisfactory to the manager, who laid down the cctoditioiil iihat the Second inspection,should take place. The first inspection fully proved' ttiat there wa§ A defjoieliay of air» endi the nest iriorning the- second, in#pee£iah. took place in the preseiWe of tt&.ffi&e manager , , with the #&m result, sets of men were atfetftexi, ftn4 the lfeitte manager then stopped 6n« j»af fey til Iftfife for the of inc-realing iS6 itl£ply of air tb the <sthGf two I>&rtis| flf men. The action on the pdrt <}| manager showed th*t sm» that the air was deficient. Having niade this cnAnfte, th* Mftftagor loft, while the check inspectdrß remained at the place. A,little, later the genwsl mdffftger and the ooif*ftinent Inspector of Mines appeared on the scpiie, and aftef inßpect}tt£ tne place, they both declared that the vetitilatiou was sufncie'nt. Against the opinion of the general manager arid the iris'p'Wtot Wβ place chat of the miners arid the check inepeot«rs, who are. all erriphat'ic ih declaring that tli-? air was insufficient. Moreover, th" nuion has to pay the v «en for the time lost when they were (Jβ*pelled to cease w6rk befiaUse of inenfficicnt air; and in the present cae* th* air was so bad that otte df tM men ' ivlio ceased work bl<vi at the nose for j some considerable time, and the others found the conditions unendurable. The air is undoubtedly in the ffliie and even in the section, but thii is of no benefit to the men by reason 6r fte not beinp; conducted to the face. The present unsatisfactory cfliiditiOnS will exist until provision is made in the Con? Mines Act for the specified ariK)ttii*l jof qii< to .sweep on to tbe working fatfe, i Wherfe tile men ar<* emiltoyed. i Originally the Oca! Mines Act provided that 1 100 cubic feet of air pw per minute must sweep undiminished hlong the. readings and airways atid en id each working face. When th 6 pjfesent Act was passed th# number of cubic feet was increased to ISO, but the clause requiring that the air should be carried on to the working face wal deleted. This provision. siKruld oft restored, arid until this is done the* Wners can have neither Satisfaction nor security so far as matters of health arid liffl are concerned.

In conclusion, it will seem strange to many of the public that the Blackball Co. should advertise for > eltra tafiton while such conditions exist. In other words, wfiile tne cdm£>aily; «41ffidt tttpply the miners already in its employ with ft sitfficiencv of ventilated plioei. —(Sgd.) }X. ROGERS, Secretary