MINING TOWNSHIPS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10282, 17 May 1919, Page 7

MINING TOWNSHIPS

COMPLAINT OF CONDITIONS DEPUTATION TO CABINET MINISTERS. Miners’ representatives from the Blackball, Buller, Huntly, Nightcaps, Hikurangi, and other mines waited upon the Acting-Prime Minister (St James Allen) and the Minister for Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Bussell) yesterday afternoon to lay before them the complaints of tire men with regard to tho sanitary conditions and the- shortage of doctors obtaining in the mining districts. Mr O'Borke acted as chief spokesman for the deputation. The interview was not open to the Press. STATEMENT BY THE ACTINGPREMIER. "The deputation,” stated Sir James Allen afterwards to a "Times'’ rex>orter, "came to see us about bad salutary , conditions in the mining townships—insufficient water supply, lack oi drainage, poor housing accommodation, and so on. They represented that matters are in a very unsatisfactory state, and that under such conditions we could not exject to got good work out of the miners or kepp them happily located m tho mining districts. They also spoke about the war regulations ; but 1 told them that I had already given my reply to another deputation in regard to that matter, and had nothing further to say. The Government, as I had stated. would consider the war regulations as soon as possible, and those that were no longer wanted would be repealed. They ; ref erred also to the right of free speech, and 1 told them that it was the duty cl the Government to prevent the abuse of the right, and that was all that it had done. "The complaints as to insanitary conditions varied in the different districts. In some it was the water supply that was complained of, in others the lack of drainage, in others bad housing conditions, and so on. It was said that in all cases the local authorities are either town boards or county and so far as one could judge there was iegiilimat© cause for complaint, and that in certain oases tho mining districts had not a proper water supply, and in others had no proper drainage system. There were also complaints about there not being medical men available! "I stated that the Government was in entire sympathy with the men with respect to" what they had represented to us in regard to insanitary conditions, and that Ministers realised generally that we could not expect to get good work from men unless they worked under healthy conditions. I assured them that inquiry would be made to ascertain tho facts as to water supply, drainage, ate., and that whatever Government was in office would be "bound to taka action in the matter.” HEALTH MINISTER’S REPLY.

For a morQ detailed. statement, Sir James Allen referred the “limes" reporter to the Minister for Public Health, who stated that he had informed the deputation that the question of the conditions as to sanitation, etc., at Blackball had been under consideration by the Public Health Department for the .last five years. -The department had 'proposed'"that' there should bo a water supply and drainage scheme for Blackball, and this had been put to a poll of the ratepayers and defeated through the influence of vested interests. ,

The chief sanitary inspector on the West Coast had been ordered immediately to visit the district, and a report would be received. On reception of th<? report,, if the circumstances justified it, the Government would.be prepared to’ use its legal powers to require the laying down of a water supply and drainage scheme without taking a poll of the ratepayers. SHORTAGE OP DOCTORS.

With regard to the shortage of doctors for the mining districts, the Minister stated that, on account o£ war conditions, there was not the number of medical men available in New Zealand'for the supply of many of the district*' for which doctors were wanted. Ho realised the importance, on account of tho dangerous vocation ot the miners, of medical men being available in case of accident, and he was at present considering a scheme by which, on. similar lines to the accident fund of the miners, a_ levy should be made on the output of the mines, and possibly also on tho earnings o. the miners; for tho purpose of providing ,a fund which would enable resident medical practitioners to _bo located in the mining districts immediately they were available. Ho suggested to the miners’ unions that they should themselves from their own class send young men and women of talent to be trained as doctors for the purpose of being located in the mining district*. Tho real difficulty was that of the salaries that required to be paid to medical men, and if the unions took the course of training young people from their own ranks, the necessary arrangements could bo made easier on tho financial side. COMPULSORY SANITATION.

The Minister expressed satisfaction at having an opportunity of a face-to-face talk with them in regard to the eaJnpitary conitions under which the miners were working, and hoped that on their return they would convey his offer to the miners’ unions—that if there was any complaint as to the sanitary conditions'under which they lived, and if they* would approach him direct with their complaints, every possible inquiry would be made. To try and improve the condition of things, the Public Health Amendment Act of last session was specially devised to widen the scope of the health laws, so as to bring into being in the mining districts, and wherever workers were located in large numbers (such as freezing workers and others) proper housing, lodging, and sanitary conditions) generally. It was. of course, possible that the local authorities would not carry out the law; hut, if so, consideration would he given to taking the necessary steps to apply compulsion for the benefit of the health of the people.