THE MINING CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 324, 16 January 1909, Page 2

THE MINING CRISIS.

LOST OF THE OOVhuX.UIi.NTS LLNDEIITAKLNCi. Auckland, Friday. The manager of a leading m-miancc company says that assuming only one nor cent, oi the miners of tne JJominioii contract miners' complaint each year, ihe annual loss under the new regulations would he CiOjDOU per annum. MI.NEK ISETI'HX TO W'OliK. OI'EKATLOXS IX FU.L SWJNIi.

Thames, Friday. To-day a noliliealion was received locally by several of Hie mine managers that the mining companies had taken advantage of the oiler made by the Premier. The trouble having ended, the men are returning to work at once. The same intimation was lonvardod lo Tairua, where the Broken Hills. ({olden Hills ami other properties work with Ihe usual complement of men. At the Thames « e„f the miuos have alreadv commenced, and it is expected that h'j I next Monday all the men will be on! Ph'.vcl. This has given much satisl'ac lion locallv.

W'liiinj.'iuvi, Kridav. Work rcslarled this moniinif at the coal mines owned In- the Xortliern ami llikuriingi companies, llany miners nrc aliscnt at present, lull work will prolial'ly lfciii fiill swiii;; («,,!,, „,, Monday. I lie nrdiiiiiry railway running was re sumed. 'Till-; KMI'LOVKIiS- lIKI'IA' TO TIIK 1 JIIXKHS' MAXII'T'STO.

lii'cl'ton, Tlmixliiy. ' "Wo cannot allow I lie manitVsto of ■the .Miners' Fi'ilcraliem to gee uiicuiitiM'.lifted, as it only serves tu pcrpe-tuaat* ■the existing misapprehension there must ■lie as lii our attitude. There is a paracrraph with which we eoreliallv agree, ■that is, tlw statement: 'Facts have lieeii •niisri'prcse'nted, with the result that tin i|)iiblie outside this district have not (vet learned the real meaning uf the 'itnigg.li'.' 1 "The only qualification of the above statement we would make is that the ■representations wero prolmbly move ■active in this district than outside. The '.iianifeslu .sets out: •The. statement ha; ■been assiduously circulated, and the ■struck, been precipitated, solely be tause of the inclusion of miners' phthisis »u the' category of inelustrial disease: imeler section 10 of the Workers' Com 'lH'iisaieliem Act,' which is .correct. A: >.vu are willing to allow the public t( 'judge the correctness or otherwise o "the statevment made by the Miners •Fcelieration, and as ;i test of the boar Hides eif both sides, wc make the follow: 'bg oJl'er: Jf the Miners' Federation 'with the approval of the local unions 'ivill join us in a petition to Parliameni 'to rcmow. pneumoconiosis (miners' com 'plaint) from the operation of tlie 'Workers' Compensation Act we will un 'dertakii to dispense entirely with medi eil'examinations, however undesirable It may ha to have working in mine: 'men sull'i'riiig from'certain complaints inolaWy heart elisease.

1 "The local inme-ownor,s did not attempt to forcu the medical .examination •until they met with their present liability for pneumoconiosis, and adopted Ithe only moans of preventing unjust '-■liiims being made. ' "If our oiler to forego medical oxttiuinntiun bo accepted, it means an. end kit the. present dilliculty; if refused, it '•how. (h,,! the stand taken ],y flic 'Miners' Federation lacks honesty of pur'ptl«.\

"We are, etc., •ToiisuliiliiLoil ColiUiolilsol X.Z., [.id. 'Trogn-s Mines of N.Z.. Ltd.; ''The Kluok.valor Mini-, Ltd.'

KKKFTOX JJEX DISPLKASHI). lioct'lon, hast Night. Regarding tile crisis, tliinjis seem In lie no iiinr*. forward. The miners are •nut too pleased regarding the offer of 'Mie companies, which include not onlv Vho.se mentioned, but the .New lii'g Ciivor. New lister, anil Koepit-Dark 'Mining Companies. The. iiisui-unoe ris';s '.ire not considered a risk at all.

CKNKUAL DISSATISFACTION AT UFF.FTOX. MIXKItN' UKI'LV To I-.MI'LUYKIIS. Jioefton, Last Night. ; (lencral ilissatisfaetion is expressed 'here at. the beating-time aUitude persisted in. Some, blame the employers, 'some the I'nton ami Federation,'anil 'some the l.'overnmeiil. The position is 'that the mines are wanting men and 'men are wanting employment. A niimder of the men are html up after the holiday, and cannot get awav, The 'ooaidinghoii-.. is talking of shutting-

' Ti-nifilifs Inangaliiia Tiliio litis a '■'■' '■<"':■£ letter I'l'i'i" Ihi' secretary uf the 'lnaugaliua .Miners- l.niun. who'nsks. in in-ili'i- to clear up -any uiisa|iprcl>cnsio,i. 'that employers interpret three things--'(II That. Mr. Kree oil 22ml December 'said: "Tlii- course we have decided to 'adopt is in arrange for the! medical '.■xaininatiou of all workmen, and any 'found sull'oring from any disease or iil-'jm-y will be asked to sign an indemnity. ■ln conformity with section 17. agreeing not to claim compensation at any'future Mate if they were laid aside 'bv any 'trouble existing at tins date of cxamina'lion.'' The secreiai-y states that tic; 'men strenuously o|i|Kise signing awav 'the privileges under the Workers' Colli'pcnsathui Act. (■»■) Again, Mr. Free, as 'spokesman for the. employers, on 14th Hani'iiary, in a. wire to the Premier, 'states that "the giroimd of tlw employers' insistence: i>u medical oxumina'lion is Unit those among the. men suf'iVring from phthisis may, if they continue work, be classed by a friendly medical practitioner as suffering from miners' disease." How does this, asks the secretary, compare with the. aiinouncc'inent on Hth January J He asks, then, J 'the followng questions of the eniiployers: '(a) Does tike 22nd December statement 'represent their present siltiUiile'l (b) 'Does the insistence on medical cxnniin'ation for ivieumwomusis only represent jllie siinui as at 22nd December'; Can 'they deny that jinciimoconiosis is an 'accident? When these questions are 'intelligibly and honestly answered the Vxecutive of the .Miners' Federation will then bo able to retract (sic) what their 'manifesto claims to be.

' Employers stale that a conference will he held next week in AYellingtun. .M r. Free for Mm employers, has already lclt Jw Oliiii,

•AUCIDKNT IXSUtANCK COM'WIKs' ATTITCDK. Wellington. U,s| Xiylit. ' Accident insurance companies state li'lmilely that they are not prepared 'in carry tilt- risk of pm nmoroaiosis 'lor an extra premium of L'l per cent, niuless they receive the s a,„e indemnity Us is .rue,, to tin- (iovcr,,u,ci,.t Accident '.iwurancc, Di.partment. Mr. _!'iT(,r, secretary of the \.< m . 'plovers federation, is going South fu'•Mgiit to confer will, Mr. free, the mine'.iwnciV representative, regarding the I 'iin-ent situution.