MINERS’ COMPLAINT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9347, 16 January 1909, Page 2

MINERS’ COMPLAINT.

WHANGARBI MINES AT WORK. Per Press Association. Whangarei, January 15. Work was re-started this morning at the coal mines owned by the Northern and Hikurangi Companies. Many miners are absent £at present, but work will probably be in full swing again on Monday. Ordinary railway running has been resumed. THE .COST OF INSURANCE. Reef ton, January 15, Regarding the mining crisis matters seem no more forward. Miners are not too pleased regarding the offer of the Companies, which include not only ;'those mentioned, but New Big River, New Ulster and Keep It Dark Mining Companies. The insurance risks are not considered as risks at all. Independent men consider the insurance rates as published a fearful impost. They consider that Government undertook no risk when it endorsed the accident Insurance Company for the risk of pneumoooniosisi’alone. Thus on an average of £l5O for individual annual wages the charge works out at 30s per man a rax of an additional £ISOO or nearly that amount on this field. THAMES MINES AT WORK. Thames, January 15. To-day notification was received locally ny several mine managers thas had taken advantage of the offer made by the Premier. The trouble having ended the men are returning to work at once. The fsame intimation was forwarded to Tairua where Broken Hills, Golden Hills and other properties are resuming work with the usual complement of men. *At Thames some mines have already commenced. It is expected that by nest Monday all the men will be employed. This has given much satisfaction locally. DISSATISFACTION AT REEFTON. Reef ton, January 15. General dissatisfaction is expressed here at the beating-time attitude persisted in. Some blame the employers, some the Union and Federation, and some the Government. There are a number of men who have nothing to do, and who are hard up after the holidays and cannot get away. Tne boarding houses are talking of shutting up and all are very discontented. To-night’s Inangahua Times has a strong letter from the secretary of the Inangahua Miners’ Union, who asks in order to clear up any misapprehension, that employers interpret these things (1) That Mr Tree, on December 22nd, said: ‘‘The course we have decided to adopt is to arrange for a medical examination of all workmen and any found suffering from any disease or injury will be asked to sign an indemnity in conformity with section 17, agreeing not* to claim compensation at any future date if they are laid aside by any trouble existing at the date of the examination.” The men say that the secretary does not need cheap and valuable Information and strenuously oppose signing away their privileges under the Workers’ Compensation Act. (2) Again, Mr Tree, as spokesman for the employers, on January 14th, in a wire to the Premier states “That the ground for the employers’ insistence on a medical examination is that those among the men who are suffering from phthisis, may, if they continue work, be classed by friendly medical practitioners as suffering from miners’ disease.” How does this, asks the secretary, compare with the announcement of Jan nary 14th. He then asks several questions of the employers, and concludes by saying that when these questions are intelligibly and honestly answered, the executive of the Miners’ Federation will then be able to retract what their manifesto claims. A State conference will be held at Wellington next week. Mr Free, who represents the employers, has already left here and is journeying via Otira.