"MINERS' COMPLAINT."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 322, 13 January 1909, Page 2

"MINERS' COMPLAINT."

CONFERENCE OF JUNE OWNERS.

AWAITING Fl'liTHEll INFORMATION.

Aucklaud, Tuesday. i The conference of coalmine owners i and directors decided • thai nothing could be done in regard to the accepi-am-e of the Premier's proposals until oliiciul iniorinatioii has been obtained

from tiie .State Accident Insurance parlinent that it would take risks, together with rates to be charged. The mines will not start work until

tins information has been obtained. It was resolved to despatch a telegram to the Premier stating that the position | was unchanged, and suggesting that the i Government should arrange and agree on terms with the Government lnsur- I ance Department and submit the same

to the various companies interested. The I telegram concluded: "The position is I serious and retires prompt action,

otherwise serious loss will fall on the meu and companies, besides loss and inconvenience to the public.''

OWNERS' IGNORANCE OK THE ACT. j THE PREMIER'S ASSURANCES. Wellington. Tuesday. The Prime Minister has received a telegarm from Mr Free, of Reeftou, in reference to the mining trouble, which sWtcs that, "however incomprehensible j it may seem, none of the mine owners | 'W.'re aware that the so-called miners' vomplaiat was i.he.subject of legislation I until the Act became law. llad mine owners been aware of the true position, verv strong reason* could have been given against the inclusion of pneumoconiosis in the Bill. If we are denied •the right to examine our men, ami pinto•nioconiosis remains in section 10, we arc •ruined. We are advised that our present action \< lawful, whereas il we accept the present proposal, effect insur ance, and resume work—should Parlia meat refuse to give us relief -our haiuh •would be tied.

The 'Prime Minister replied regret--tni" that the mine owners did not give some attention to the Bill, which they knew must affect them. Tire Mill was not passed hastily, and the fjllot opportunity was given to them for raising objections. lie eonld not *ay precisely what legislation will he introduced, Imt he proposed to give mine owners full opportunity for stating their objections when •Parliament, meets. If it is shown that ■1 lie inclusion of piieumoconoisis will ■inill tiie industry, as alleged, then the ■Act must lie brought into line with the 'lmperial Act. If upon inquiry it is found that all that is needed is a protection against bogus claims, then seelion 111 will lie amended to protect mine ■owners from sueh claims by requiring proof which will limit the liability of genuine eases intended to he covered by 'the provisions of clause 10. WORKERS DISCONTENTED IN ■DUNEDIS.

Duneilin, Tuesday. The eoal mine-owners and employees in Otago are marking time, and appear content to await developments in other parts. The Mine-owners' Association postponed its conference and decided to watch operations without taking any action which might precipitate its members into worse trouble. The workers at present are very discontented. AT REEFTON. DEADLOCK IN EVERY DIRECTION, i Keefton, East Night.

Nothing important transpired to-day. Employers anil miners are simply marking time till, tiie insurance regulations are available. Though a number of men is leaving to seek work elsewhere, the married ln'cn are still here. The feeling in favor of a settlement i,s growing. The hope is indulged in that the mineowners and miners will combine and draft a Hill suitable to both parties, thus bringing the unsatisfactory state of affairs to a close. Mr. Free, attorney for the mineowners, further wired Sir Joseph Ward, hut the substance of the wire has not been divulged. Meanwhile there is no I'hange in the position at the Globe iuinc, the engines of which are being Veiitted. The Keep-it-Dark mine is still being baled now and then by the officers The police are acting as nightWatchmen at the principal mines. The Smaller mines are willing to take men on under the insurance regulations, but Vliey cannot fill tlie.y arrive. Prospecting ventures are entirely squashed, all interest in mining being absent. This is a pity, as the ventures never promised better. The Golden Arch venture, with plenty of good stone in sight, only wants ail oil engine to be titled with parts, which are just to hand, to crush, imt. dare not employ labor. The Ulster, witli Still tons in sight, has its manager prospecting. Several private parti.'S ire prospecting "on their own.'' The majority of the men have nothing to do. Work iu other directions is quiet The County Council slackened hands at Christmas, and no work is available. 'There is a deadlock in everv direction.

l-'IIDM THE E.Ml'UlYEliS' VIEWPOINT. IPPiE.UIEU UNABEE TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE. ACTION BY THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. Wellington, Last, Night. .Speaking to a Post reporter this afternoon, the secretary of the Employers' Federation (Mr. W Prvor) made reference 'to the published correspondence between Mr. S. E. I'. Free, attorney for the Consolidated Coldilields 'Company, Ltd., ami the Prime. Minister. 3l'r. Pryor expressed surprise at learning for the ifirst time that the mine-owners had' not received a copy of -thm Bill whe'.i it was lirst circulated' "At that time,'' lie said, "L saw the Hon. Mr. Millar, and discussed the industrial diseases clause with him, and mentioned that it affected ininc-ownem prettv considerably. I understood Mr. Miliar to say that lie would send conies of the Biil to all minc-fiwners throughout the Dominion. j: mentioned that matter to the Minister this morning, lie remembers .the conversation, but understood that 1 referred only to registered industrial bodies of mining, employers. Those. I understand, were supplied, but thoKeeftoii mine-owners were not re"isteicd under 'the Act. and that accounts for them not receiving tl copy of the Bill.

Regarding the point tliat the; industrial diseases clause was taken from the J'.nglntli Act and that no special attention was give.i, to it, .Mr l'rvor said it was tine that in clause 5 of'the memorandum attached: lo tile Jiill it was stilted: "Compensation is jjiven for certain. diseases incurred in the course uf II worker's employment." This was in accordance with (he Knglish Act of IHIHi. Tli,. Minister, too, .said that the Acl was working satisfactorily in (Ircat liritain. That was taken to mean that piieiinionnconiosis was provided for in the Knglish Act, whereas, as a matter of lact, that was not the case. The mining dispose, provided for by the Hnjtlish Act was ankylostomiasis, which is altogether a different disease. Tile ef- ' feci it has upon mine-workers generally | is so small a,s to account for flic fact that it was included hi the schedule of Ihe hnglish Act without any particular objection being taken to it.' Turuing to the Premier's reply to Mr., -I'roe, 'Mr. Prvor urged that' the position of t'he employers was not in any way improved thereby, as no guarantee was or could be given as to what Parliament will do in the way of Jlili'i|diiig the Act "As a matter of , fact,' he, Aaid. '-the Press Association i tc-legrains from Ucefton and Thames i slimy that a determined effort will be ( made bv the Miners' Unions t 0 have i section. 17 (tlic coulrneting-out clause) I repealed, and' if that Is done Hip position of the employers will bp-very much worse |Ha a it is at present. As Mr. Skerrett point.-, out. so far as the date of contracting the disease is concerned, •employers are almost entirely in th" hands of ihe workers, so that before tire employers can agree to any arrange- I menl they must have some satisfaction |

• US to what tlreir position will he when ; Parliament deals with the Act. This 'veins to nie lo poiat to the necessity for Parliament being immediately called together to settle the question." '' I have eompletedi arrangements.'' •Miid Mr. Prvor in conclusion, "for representatives of mine-owners to meet in Wellington on Friday if it is found possible to get. the Prime Minister to return for that purpose anil attend the 'meeting. To that end I have to-day telegraphed to Sir Joseph Ward at Oainarui "Mine-owners from all parls of Dominion desire to meet you in conference at Wellington on Friday. Can ■you possibly make, it convenient to j Imeet tlieni? Kindly reply promptly, ills lteefton representatives must leave itliis afternoon to lie in time." | i This afternoon Mr Prvor received Itlie following reply ftronv' .Sir Joseph Ward:—"T am exceedingly sorry that iT cannot accede to the leanest of the Imine-owners to meet them on Friday, as I cannot possibly be in Wellington oil that date. —J, 0. Ward." Mr. Prvor lias accordingly telegraphed

ito the members of the Federation in-! ■forming them of the. reply, and suggesting that it is inadvisable to hold the conference without the presence of the •Prime Minister. It. is stated that some of the accident insurance companies have decided that after a certain date they will not I 'issue any_further policies in connection 'with men employed in. mines.

WSSES IN THE AUCKLAND DISTRICT. MEN ALL DESPERATE. Auckland, Last Xiglil. Mine-owners hero state that up till the present the (iovernnn-nt Accident Insurance Olliee has declined to issue policies covering risks against miners' complains. In addition to the loss being sustained by the local coal companies and shipowners and the men at the mines, it is estimated that the loss to the Railway Department through the suspension of coal carriage on the Whangarei line is about €2oo a week, whilst the loss on the Waikato line is a great deal more. Owing to the shortage of fuel the Portland cement works

of Limestone Island ami Mahurangi liavo closed down, thus throwing 250 men out of employment. A telegram from the Waikato Miners' Union af Huntly, which has been, received by the Taupiri Coal Company, states that the men are all desperate,, and that there will be no guarantee of forbearance after to-night.

About 20,000 tons of con I are due from Newcastle and Westport during the next few days. This will be suilicienl to meet requirements for about a fortnight.