TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1916, Page 5

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION.

■PREVENTION" OF ACCIDEXTi^^^M Mr, W. T. Jennings stated in the House of on Thursday thut lie had just a. telegram informing him that a had been killed by an accident nt Okahukurn tunnel the previous Five or six ratlior serious accidents occurred at the tunnel recently. He asked the Militate:' for Public. Woi'k ß % ■ lie had yet received the report as to thei dangerous condition of the tunnel which 1 be 1)H(1 lSaui is ?i} t°. t,|ic representative ' of the workers 'introduced to him some time ago. The Hon. W. Fraser said that his Information was that the work was proceeding satisfactorily. He had had no report as to the fatal accident referred to, but, Wfluld get a report on the matter. If it was a job that would account for his not having heard of the accident. Mr.'P. C.Wc'bb (Grey) asked whether, in view of the great number of accidents occurring in different tunnels in his Department, the MMst«t> would consider the advisability of bringing the whole of the tunnelling works under the Mines Department. He asked that question 4n *lic hope that the Government inspectors, along with the workers' Inspectors, might have an opportunity of inspecting the works. These men had been killed or injured through faulty timbering up, 4** it -the inspectors would condemn the work, whether done by contrast or under the Public Works Department. Tunnelling work was realty ■*■ pulling work, and the mines inspectors would he the heat men to see whether the timbering was properly done or not. That wns the main objeet of the agitation by the men'on these works at Okahuftura, Ottra and elscwhpre. The Hon. W. Fraser said that the request had been before the test three Ministers for Public Works, and they had all turned it down. Mr. Webb: "To their shame!" That, said the Minister, was the hon. member's opinion, but ' le did not think it advisable that railway tunnels should come under the Mines Act. The men a3ked for it because it would make the whole of the tunnelling subject to the conditions of the Mines Act. He had no intention of doing that at present, because he thought the work could be done all right by the Public Works Department. It was not a question of safety, so far as the men were concerned, so much as a question of pay ami conditions.