Report of Board appointed to inquire into the prevalence and prevention of lead poisoning at the Broken Hill silver-lead mines to the Honourable the Minister for Mines and Agriculture.
- New South Wales. Legislative Council.
- Date:
- 1893
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of Board appointed to inquire into the prevalence and prevention of lead poisoning at the Broken Hill silver-lead mines to the Honourable the Minister for Mines and Agriculture. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![9* I/EAD POISONING INQUIRY BOAED—MINUTES OF EVIDENCE, ^^'y' 3402. During nearly the whole of that period there was half as many men in lead as out of it ? Yes. 3403. How many weeks out of every four did you work in lead out of that time ? I do not suppose I 19 Jan 1893 ^^^^ averaged one week in four, nor would any man. ' 3404. How would that be worked then ? They changed round, different men goiug on to lead for a fort night, and then changed along to ironstone and kaolin for a fortnight each. 3405. But you said half the men were working in lead ? I should think half the men were working in lead. 3406. Tou say you were only in lead one week out of four ? Yes. 3407. Would not that mean that there were only one-fourth of the men in lead and three-quarters out of it, if you work one week out of four in it and three out of it ? Others may be in the lead more than me. 3408. You said just now that not only you, but you did not think the men generally did ;—you did not work in the lead more than one in four ; you must have been favoured in some way ? No ; I do not think I was favoured much, as previously to that I had worked twenty-one months in lead. 3409. You could not have worked as much in lead during these two years as the ordinary run of men ? No ; not during that time. 3410. How was this ? I do not know. One time I was twenty-one months in it, and never shifted out of it. 3411. But still you have not worked as much in lead in Block 11 as the average men? No ; not for that two years. 3412. And during that sime there was the greatest quantity of lead in Block 11 ? There is just as much always. Even the twenty-one months I was in the lead there was just as much then as in the two years. [Witness withdrew.] 19 Jan., 1893. Mr. J. Christopher called and examined :— Mr. J. 3413. Chairman.] What is your name ? J.Christopher. Christopher. 3414^ ^hat are you ? A miner. 3415. Where are you working ? In the Proprietary Mine. 3416. Which part ? In .lamieson's ; in fact, all over it. 3417. itfr. Thomas.'] How long have you been on the Barrier ? Eather over two years. 3418. And during that time what mines have you worked at? Only at the Proprietary. 3419. Then you have been practically working two years at the Proprietary ? Yes. 3420. And during that time you have been working on M'Culloch's and Jamieson's end ? Yes ; I have taken my turn right round. 3421. You have not worked in Block 11 ? No. 3422. The custom in that end is to work two weeks in M'Culloch's and then two weeks in Jamieson's ? It has been. 3423. It is not now ? Yes; as far as I know. 3424. And you have changed regularly ? Yes. 3425. M'Culloch's is the lead end, is it not ? Yes. 3426. But Jamieson's ? Is the kaolin. Of course, there is a little lead. 3427. Not enough to affect you ? No. 3428. If you had your desire, would you change from M'Culloch's to Jamieson's, or would you prefer to remain the whole time in Jamieson's ? I believe myself in the lead end the air is better. 3429. Which would you prefer ? I would not care what end I was in. 3430. Why would you not prefer altogether to stay at M'Culloch's, what advantage is there against that ? There are gases in both ends, and changing from one end to another is like change of clireiate. I would just as soon stay in one end as another. 3431. You gave us some reason that in M'Culloch's the air was rather better ? Yes. 3432. Which end would you prefer to remain in permanently ? I could not say that I would prefer one end in particular to the other. 3433. But still the air is better at M'Culloch's ;—why do you not prefer to remain in M'Culloch's ? I would as soon stay in M'Culloch's as Jamieson's. 3434. Do you think that the majority of men would rather be in Jamieson's ;—why would you not prefer to remain in M'Culloch's, seeing that the air is better ? I do not know that men change for that. There is a diiFerence in the working of the stuff. In working in lead you get into sand ; in the other end you are not. Of course, it is unpleasant for a man when sweating to be covered with dust. It would be uncomfortable. 3435. You think there is less of that uncomfortable feeling in Jamieson's ? Of course, it does not hang about the body the same there. 3436. So you think that advantage goes against the better air in M'Culloch's end, and you would just as soon be in one as another ? The unpleasantness of working in M'Culloch's takes away a little of the advantage of better air ? Yes. 3437. You have had a number of mates during that two years ? A good many ; of course, a lot of these have left. 3438. Have you any reason why they have left you during the two years ? I do not know, only that they have gone back to their homes. 3439. Have any of them gone away ill ? No, not one of them. 2440. Is it the custom at the big mine if a man is leaded to give notice of it to the time-keeper, and then go away for a short holiday, and then when he comes back start work again ? I never heard of that. 3441. You never came across a man who left the big mine leaded and came back to work again ? I have come across men who have gone away tor a holiday, and who have come back again ; of course, whether they went away leaded, I could not say. 3442. They have left their work, have gone away, and have come back and went to work again ? Yes. 3443. You have not met one of your acquaintances that has gone away, Avho, as far as you know, was leaded when he went ? No, not one. 3444. Can you have all the water that you require underground ? Yes. 3445. How long has that been so ? In fact, all along. 3446. 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