South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2268, 24 June 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1880.

Title experiences o£ the Government of New Zealand in the coal-heaving line have been of such a nature as to preclude the probability of coal-heaving ever attaining the magnitude of a political department. The coal-heaving experiment, which forms the subject of an interesting State paper, and which is consequently destined to live among the records of Parliamentary follies, was commenced under the auspices of the late Government, in the year 1871). The original author of the scheme was Mr A. J. Burns, at one time M.H.l*. for lloslyn, but who, on being rejected by his constituents, turned his attention to fuel of a less doubtful character, and accepted the congenial office of manager of a colliery company at Westport. With that conservative instinct which once reigned paramount in the old identity element of Otago, and which seems like the curse of an ancient prophet to adhere to successive generations, the rejected for Koslyn hit upon the brilliant idea of superseding colonial labor in the coal-heaving line by importing miners from Great Britain and making the Government of New Zealand a partner in his scheme, Mr Bryns accordingly, on March 1, 1879, wrote to the Minister for Immigation (Mr Stout) requesting him to instruct the Agent - General “ to select say fifty first-class miners from some of the best coal-mining districts in either Scotland or England.” These black diamond machines were, of course,

to be despatched to the order of the Company of which' Mr . Burris was manager, the expense of transit beingpaid out of the revenue of the colony. In return for the privilege, which the uhndgration department was to enjoy, -of practically carting coals to Newcastle at the expense of the taxpayers of New Zealand, the Agent-General was enjoined to he exceedingly careful about the quality of the coal-heavers. Not only were they to be “ first-class ” products of the “ best coal-mining districts,” but they were to be “men of small stature, and with families, as they arc steadier us a rule. when married.” And in addition to being small men with largo families, Mr Burns suggested in bis application that a high morality should be , looked for under the antagonistic conditions of a rough if not low occupation. To make certain that witli the assistance of the Agent-General and the Government, the Westport Colliery Company (Limited) should be placed in possession of that rarer avis, the refined coal-heaver, the manager wrote :—“ It would be desirable that the AgentGeneral should make some inquiries into the character of the men, both as to their moral character and also as to their skill as workmen, as the late strikes have exhibited most melancholy traits of depravity and bad conduct in many of this class.”

Mr A. J. Burns’ scheme received flic concnrronco of the Government, and the Agent-General appears to have carried out his instructions with praiseworthy promptitude and exactitude. Lancashire, Durham, and Yorkshire were ransacked by immigration agents for coal-heavers of low stature and high morals with large families, and such was the success of the kidnappers that on August 22 of last'year, or within six months of Mr Burns’ application, fifty specially selected specimens of the able-bodied, low-sized, large-familicd and pious English collier were shipped at Plymouth, in the good ship Opawa, to the order of the Wesport Colliery Compan}-. Strange to say, before their arrival, Mr Burns discovered that he had made a mistake, for he writes to the Minister for Immigration, under date Oct. 17, expressing his annoyranco at learning that among the coal-miners selected by the Government, were seven or eight “local preachers.” The rejected for Boslyn seems to have drawn the statutory linebetween “ sound morality’ and “local preaching” for he expresses his indignation thus “ I feel very “ much annoyed at these men being- “ selected to be sent here. We have “ had a sample of these same local “ preachers, and very glad we were to “ get rid of (hem, as their practice did “ not accord with their profession. I “ trust, therefore, the Government Avill “ send these men somewhere else, and “ substitute others in their place the “ first convenient opportunity, as I am “ well aware we would not tolerate their “ conduct very long, and I have no wish “ to see the men out of employment." By this time, however, a change of Government had taken place, and the new Minister for Immigration, Mr Bollcston, refused to sympathise with theological squcami.sncss of the rejected for Boslyn. The Minister replies that “ it can hardly be expected that the “ Government will place them under “ any disability because of their re- “ ligions persuasion, or because they “ feel themselves called upon to act as “ 1 local preachers’in disseminating their “ views to others.” But the manager, having evidently changed his views about low-sized morality and muscular Christianity, vigorously rejoins : —“ As “ manager of the company, I have got “ to have coals dug from the bowels of “ the earth and deposited in the bolds “of ships at Westport; and this “ cannot be done by ‘ local preaching,’ “ but by practical coal miners. Xow, I “ am surprised that the Agent-General, “ who is, or used to be, a thoroughly “ practical man himself, did not discover “ that these 1 local preachers,’ as a rule, “ arc the very worst miners going, and “ give more trouble than any other “ class of operatives, as a few in- “ quirios would have told him.” Mr Burns adheres to his conviction Topsy is a more amiable character than Uncle Tom, and that local preaching and coal-heaving make a bad mixture. The result is that when the colliers arrive at Nelson, in November, the Westport Company arc not prepared to engage them. Telegrams of a pressing character from the Minister for Immigration only elicit replies of a most evasive and unaatisfactory nature from the mining manager. Meanwhile

the imported local pieaehers,” with their large families, arc cooped up like market fowls in the immigration barracks at Nelson, nursing their discontent,

and praying fervently, it is to be presumed, for Mr A. J. Burns and the Westport Colliery Company (Limited.) Fortunately with the new year the mines of Canterbury came to their relief, and the “ selected” miners which Mr A. J. Burns and his precious company ordered but were unable to employ, are now engaged at the Springfield and Brunner Companies’ mines, where they are giving evident satisfaction, while the Westport Company have been presented with a bill for £239, for rations supplied to the colliers while in barracks.

Such is a sketch of the coal-heaving experiment. The story is interesting, though sad. Lot us hope that the lesson it conveys will not be lost upon the Immigration department. It shews the folly of any Government attempting to perform fur

the employers of labour, and especially for “ limited ”, companies, the worK. that should be done by themselves. It also indicates the imprudence of an unnecessary intermeddling with the. law olsupply and demand which should be allowed to regulate the labor market. The stream of immigration which has lately been directed with full force into the colony, is acting like an avalanche, driving the bone and sinew and enterprise out o 1; the country before it and leaving a dchns of waste and impoverished material behind. This comes of Hooding the labor market at the instigation of employers. For the credit of the Covernment, wo should hope that the BurnsVogcl coal-heaving experiment will ho the first and last of its kind.