THAMES NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10352, 28 April 1911, Page 2

THAMES NEWS.

THE MINING ACT

AILLEIG-ED CONTRIAVENTION

FAULTY VENTILATION.

LOCAL MINE MANAGERS

CONVICTED.

MAGISTRA TE'S COMMENTS

At the local Court this morning several managers of local mines were charged with contravening the provisions of the Mining Act in not providing the men working in the mine with sufficient -Ventilation. The first case called was that.of

Inspector of Mines (Mr Porritt) v. James Sheehan (Mr Miller.)

Slieehan wag charged with that being the manager of the Thames Gold Mining Clo's mine he did not produce in the mine 100 cubici foot of air par minute for each man employed underground.

Two furthler charges againlst Harold Alexander Hill and Henry Kendall for whom Mr Miller appeai'ed were pleoded guilty to.

A charge against El. A. Daldy (Sylvia minei) for whoim Mr Clendon appeared, was also pleaded guilty to.

With regard to the Thames mine Mi 1 Porritt siaid that the ah" l'cquii-ed would b© 3 miners 300 ft, one horse 600 ft, and one driver 100 ft, a total

of 1000 ft, whereas the test hy the Inspector showed that the supply per minutes reached only 59.34 ft and the standard Was deficient The same quantity was required 1 in the Al'buruia mine and the air omterinp: the working's only reached 59.34 or the same as the Thames, wihilei at tliei s-amo time the sta.nd!aird was deficient.

Mr Millei' did not dispute thei correctness of Mr Porritt'si figures hut said that the mine managers had no moans of testing the quantity of air going into their mines. The miners

had made no complaint and if tho conditions Were sio bad as Mr Porritt sought to show he could not unctersfcajid haw 1 the men maina.pjed to work at all.

With i"e£"\.rd to th.o Watchman complaint Mr PoiVitt said the air r©quiired was 400 ft, whereas the ■ test showed 61.6 ft, entei-ingj the workinprs, although in this cia*ie the quality was s»od.

Mr Miller waid tlvalfc this mine was one of the (best ventilated mines in the district andl wheneiver the Inspector had intimated that the condition!" should bia imprcved the compa.ny had done what the Inspector required.

Mr Porritt said that these cases had been brought to show the companies' that tha Inspector must be consuTerelcl dominant when the quantity and quality of the 1 air in mines is in dispute.

Mil* Miller asked His "Worship not to impose seMere penalties as the clases wen*a praoticalty test cases brought as a warning that the Inspector required the regulations to he complied with. , With regard to tlie Sylvia oafc-e

Mi 1 Porritt said tliab the air required was 200 ft while that supplied on the day of the inspection was 27 cubic feet, Ibut nothing could be said of tli<> quality as thei samplel taken had been damaged. The manager, however, had in liand a scheme for the adequate Ventilation of the workings.

Mr CUendon said that thi^s was the first case of its 'kindlyeit brought on this field. At all previous visits to the Sylvia mine the Inspector had expressed himself as fully satisfied, with the conditions. Therei was no wilful attempt to evade the law and at the present time and in fact at -the time of the Inspector's visit, of which this case wai? the cutoome, pipes weva bfrh\(j put in.

His) Worship said tlii&t the conditions in these mines w'eire woefully Mow what was; r'tquired by* the Act and it was no> w'ondler that the miner's contra-cited complaints. Howevei', he would take into ennsidbration thei fact that these were the firgfc prosecfutions of their kind and also the fact that thia question had not in p<ist years teen urgjed upon the companies. The casesl liaid been aibbnclanitly prove<l andl in the intereisits of the miners' hei-'.lth and lives it was his duty to enforce a penalty. He would! not enforce the maximum penalty, but at the same time the penalty would not Ixi p. nominal mio. In <he event of aiiy 1 further cases oiom.ing before the Clouit hearcy penalties would be enforced. The defendants would bo cmirictcd and oaoh finod! .£o with 16s court rtists and .£1 1m solicitors' fo?.