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
Catalogue details

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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    whatever about it. We then went over the surface workings, and at last approached the main shaft. I desired the braceman to send us down, and explained who we were, and that Mr. Lane had informed us that he no longjr opposed our descent. The braceman replied that he had had no instructions at all, and that he could not send us down without a written order ; and this statement appeared to us to be made in the ordinary course of business. While we were talking with the braceman, however, the driver of the winding engine went out of his way to call him to the window of the engine-house, and when he returned he told us that the engine-driver had said that unless Thomas had permission in writing from tlie manager he was not going to send him down the shaft, and he also called out to the men to run their trucks into the cage and to get on with their work. After consultation with other members of the Board I decided that we had again been illegally obstructed in our endeavour to act on the authority vested in us, and, consequently, we withdrew. I venture to repeat my opinion that Mr. Lane's opposition is in reality to the Board and not only to Mr. Thomas ; that he stands entirely alone among managers in that opposition—Colonel Morgan's action probably not having originated with himself; that the course taken by him is subject of ridicule among the other managers ; and that there is not, either among the men employed on Block 14 or elsewhere the kind of opposition to Mr. Thomas which Mr. Lane hints at, nor, as far as I can ascertain, any opposition at all. I have, &c., ' J. ASHBURTON THOMPSON, The Under Secretary for Mines and Agriculture. Chairman III. Sii, ■ Lead Poisoning Liquiry Board, Broken Hill, 7 February, 1S9.S. In continuation of my letter of the 31st January, I have the honour to write as follows :—On the 2nd instant I received the following telegram from you :— MPw Lane wires that he docs not concur in action of men ; on the contrary that he notified the Board that all opposition has been withdrawn, but that on Tuesdav, when the Board visited the mine in Lane's absence, he not having been notified, after being shown over the surface you demanded to go below, but the engine-driver refused to lower Mr. Thomas down' and he cannot discharge driver and have a strike ; he is powerless as regards engine-drivel^s, but Board can, if they choose, enter mine, and see every part by means of tunnels and ladders, independent of drivers. HARRIE WOOD, Under Secretary for Mines, 2/2/93. And on the same date I made the following reply :— Me. Laxe's telegram, transmitted by you is a misrepresentation from beginning to end ; do not be deceived. I have not the slightest hesitation in speaking thus bluntly. Wait receipt of my letter to-morrow. Do you know whether Lane's directors have any idea of what is going on ? J. ASHBURTON THOMPSON, Chairman, Lead Board, 2/2/93. On the 4th instant I received the following telegram from you :— The following wire was sent to Mr. Lane and directors, Block 14 Company :—' Absolutely necessary that all obstruction to the Lead Poisoning Board visiting your mine in terms of authority, should be at once withdrawn, or unpleasant consequences may result. Kindly arrange with Chairman at once.' HARRIE WOOD, Under Secretary for Mines, 4/2/93. On Monday, the 6th instant, I had the following letter from Mr. Lane :— To Dr. A. Thompson, Chairman, Lead Board,— Dear Sir, Block 14 Mine, Broken Hill, 4 February, 1893. I am again writing you to say that I have no desire to prevent tlie Board from inspecting the mine, and would like to sec you personally on the subject, if possible, for it must l)e plain to you that such public utterances as Mr. Thomas saw fit to make on Thursday night, are not only cowardly, but still further complicate matters. Awaiting the favour of your reply, if you can make an appointment, either at your hotel or elsewhere. I am, &c., Z. LANE. The public utterances of Mr. Thomas referred to in the above letter are contained in the following sentence from a speech in favour of a candidate for election to the Town Council :— It was not every man who was in the happy position of the engine-drivers at Block 14, of being able to dictate to the manager.—Barrier Miner, 3 February, 1893. No others have been published or made. To this letter I caused the following reply to be sent:— . Sir, Lead Poisoning Inquiry Board, Broken Hill, Town Hall, 6 February, 1893. I am directed to acknowledge receipt this morning of your letter dated the 4th instant, and to say in reyly that, as the sole question at present is whether you will or will not fulfil your conditions of lease, it seems to the Chairman that there is nothing to be gained from a personal interview. I am to add that by a telegram received to-day from Sydney, the Board learn that all obstruction to their visiting Block 14 has been withdrawn, and to ask you whether this is correct, and whether you will undertake that the Board shall not be further obstructed if they present themselves for tlie purpose of visiting the underground workings of your mine. I have, &c., W. J. LITTLE, Z. Lane, Esq., Manager, Block 14 Silver-mine, Broken Hill. Secretary to Board. On the same date I received the following message from you :— Re Block 14 Mine, all obstruction has now been withdrawn, and the mine is open for inspection by Board, and a message has been received from acting secretary of company in Melbourne, stating manager has been instructed to have all obstacles removed. HARRIE WOOD, '' Under Secretary for Mines, 7/2/93. At the same time you transmitted this copy of a message sent to you by Mr. Lane :— The following is a copy of a wire just received from Mr. Lane:—' In accordance with your wire of third instant, I immediately wrote Chairman, Lead Board, asking him make appointment to arrange re inspection. He declined to do so. There is no obstruction whutever offcx'ed. Any statements made to the contrary are untrue, as I am anxious to carry out your wishes.' HARRIE WOOD, Under Secretary for Mines, 7/2/93. In the course of the afternoon, therefore, some of the members of the Board, including Mr. Josiah Thomas, and accomjjanied by the Mining Inspector, went to Block \4, saw Mr. Lane, and were by him taken to the main shaft and sent below. We inspected the mine, and then proceeded to the British Blocks. There we found that Colonel Morgan had instructed the braceman and the underground manager that we were to lie sent below upon making request. We went below. I have, &e., J. ASHBURTON THOMPSON, The Under Secretary for Mines and Agriculture. Chairman. [One Map.] Svdnev; Charles Potter, Government Printer.—189a.