Letters: Pike River re-entry too dangerous

I feel that I need to put on record that I consider the re-entry to the Pike River mine to be both extremely dangerous and also pointless.

While we all have the greatest sympathy for the bereaved families still struggling with the loss of loved ones, we all know that those men are deceased.

Not only that, with the memory we all have of the flames and heat that for days came out of the escape tunnel, plus the blast effects recorded at the mouth of the tunnel, it is inconceivable that there will be much more than dust at the mine face area.

The reason this mine blew up was simply that the miners had reached the coal which obviously contained methane. Something ignited the methane, it could have been an electrical motor that was not safe or even a casual cigarette.

The only possible justification for re-entry might be to see if the cause can be found, in which case a crime scene might exist. Even if it could be established, those responsible have long gone, and if it was the lighting of a cigarette, the person responsible is dead.

Our company — Pacific Safety International — could supply all the protective clothing that the re-entry crew would need to wear. But not even our superior safety equipment would protect and save the crew if another explosion like the last one took place.

Consequently, if asked, we would need considerable persuasion before we supply this PPE (personal protective equipment).

Think again, Mr Little, there are other ways in which a non-invasive, zero risk investigation at the mine face could be done. Otherwise you must be prepared to take personal responsibility for the consequences, if things go wrong.

DAVID BENNETT
Whanganui

Bloodied hands

Jay Kuten in the Chronicle (November 14) says President Trump has blood on his hands. Would Jay step up and leave America to its rhetoric to investigate politicians in New Zealand who have blood on their hands through abortion?

These articles of his have all the tenor of American reporters supporting Stalin in the 1920s.

Step up, Jay, and speak on the holocausts in your adopted country. I daresay it takes courage.

F R HALPIN
Gonville

Vanishing US jobs

Gwynne Dyer, after his ideological and non-factual attacks on US President Donald Trump, repeats his favourite refrain that Trump doesn't understand the reason jobs were disappearing from the US. Mr Dyer continually informs us that the majority of jobs are lost to automation, especially in manufacturing.

There are three main causes for jobs disappearing for US workers: Automation, businesses moving offshore, and illegal aliens who will work for a pittance (and are shamelessly taken advantage of).

While automation has many advantages, the reduction of paying jobs is a problem that requires consideration. As these jobs disappear, there is often growth in other, often unexpected, areas that can help reduce the impact.

The interesting thing is the way people like Mr Dyer seem to think the other two causes should simply be ignored rather than addressing them and trying to get jobs back.

Obviously Trump disagrees, and his efforts on behalf of American workers seem to be bearing fruit. The strong economy, increases in jobs, businesses moving back to the US, tax cuts, etc are all helping workers.

Record lows in unemployment, including the lowest unemployment figures for black Americans since records began in the 1960s, have also helped lead to pay increases.

While job numbers continue to increase, including more than 300,000 new manufacturing jobs in the past year, Mr Dyer continues to inform us President Trump doesn't understand the problem. Oh, and that the president is a racist who is anti-immigrant.

I wonder if his immigrant wife knows that?

K A BENFELL
Gonville

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