THE MINING CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 324, 15 January 1909, Page 2

THE MINING CRISIS.

NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE POSITION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Thames, Wednesday. The meeting of the Thames .Miners' Union made very littie progress towards the solution of the present difficulty. Tueie was very little tu report, for the reason that no replies have been received to its telegrams except that from the Minister of Mines. Since the meeting a reply has been received lioiu the Premier that the Gazette notices will be published at once. He explained that the Government had offered to take risks or to indemnify the State Insurance Department fljgainst loss. This was about as far as "it could go at present. Regarding the manning of the ground, it was decided to go into this question to see what could be done. It was also decided to consult solicitors regarding the question of liability of mine owners on the West Coast, to pay wages to men who had not been paid off.

TUB PliKMlKll AND 111NEOU'N'KRS. Auckland, Wednesday. A telegram received from the Premier states:—"The terms of tlic Governmi'iit Accident Insurance Department were lixed before I wired to tlie mine-owners on the West Coast. There is no diliiculty iii.this respect. I am unable to understand why, in view of the fact of the Government having undertaken that the Accident Insurance Department should effect insurance for pneumonoconiosis, there should be any further delay on the part of the mineowners to end tire trouhle. 1 have wired them further on the matter this afternoon and the responsibility is on the owners. I have given instructions for ait order-in-eouncil containing tire Government Accident Insurance rates to be published in to-day's (Thursday's) Gazette."

AN OFFER TO THE MINERS. llcefton, Last Night. A mine-owner informs the Inangahua Times in answer to the manifesto of lire Miners' Federation, that if the Federation, with the approval of local unions, will join employers in petitioning Parliament for the removal of pneumoconiosis (miners' complaint) from the operation of the Workers' Compensation .Vet, employers will undertake to dispense entirely with medical examination, lie claims that the mine-owners did not attempt to enforce medical examination till they were met by the present liability in respect of pneumoconiosis, when they adopted the only known means of preventing the union's claims. If the odor were accepted, it would be a means of ending the present diflicultv.

HKCU'UTroXS (IAZISTTEI). Wellington, Last Xight. A supplement lo ilio Cizotlf publish cil this afternoon rontains the rcgula lions umliT iho fiovorninenl Areidrii' Tiisiimncc Act relating to pncumocoili osis, insurance again-,1 »hich is to Ik provided by (lie Department in termof die derision recently eome to bv tin Oovcminont. They arc as follows':— ■•'t'liese regulations shall apply only tc [■ontniol. which include insurance or in iloinnity against risks arising under sec lion 10 of the Workers' CoinprnsAtior Act, mOB. In no case shall n connnis -inner require as a condition of contrail that, workers have been medically ex iniincd, or that any medical or otliei evidence or declaration respecting llieii <tate of health is given or e- ■'. "In a ease of pneuniocnnio ' '.- , m . nissioncr shall keep a separau- a.vuuril <limvin<r all the premiums received and Tninis paid. Hates of premiuins to he charged shall »■ according to the following tahlc:I'nble of rates—Pneumoconiosis: In rO . ipi'el of everv ClflO wages, same rate is fixed in table s „f Oivle'r-inCoineil if Ih:' lllth neeeniber. 1008. for (he herein mentioned pnlh-ies with an addiimi of 20s. All other diseases: Tn repeel of every CIOO of wages the same ate as is fixed in Ibe aforesaid table S ntboiit any addition.

•Snlyect In ill.. f oroR „i„„ provision, »f llii-w r(.«nliiti.,iis. tlio R ™«ral re ßulaions nr-plv („ ~v „ ,v „.,,, ~„„. tract." ,

DUXF.WX Ml\l.;i!S \CC'V.VT FX AMIVATTOX. ] l '"r< » H'-' 'i»l.l™ I'm,,! „„,] (!nl,l ind limirslp,,! mi,,,,.. ;lti Atnerac-s Fin I nninbrriiiff SJ l, :lv ,. „,„„„,„„,, „,„„,; selves to me ,l.e,il ..yaminalion. a,,,] n ]| '„'."" r"'" 1 ;. !'. ! - -t«*f.l tl««.t ITio ~,0-n <e!n>i In exaininalin;,.

DTFFTfTT.TY RKTTT.KD TV TTTF. VOTiTTT. Timarii. T.-v<t XMil. T„.,,. V W,,| ;., ~..„„„,, (IIU m .„ l|ilur Hie lre„iier <a„l : «T ]„„•,, receive,! a.l- ---<■'-« (hat IV .lilTienllv r-sariliiie tli«| N-rlliorii n'.almiiie W !,„,„ s y. t |,lc,h I Hint Hie owner, )„,,.„ awM j V fin . vwiiment Accident Tnanmnrt Depart, merit's enver. and that, tlie miners will resume work to-morrow."