THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 80, 2 April 1908, Page 2

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

HDvERS SUPPORTED BY AUCKLAND TRADES COUNCIL. The members of the Auckland Trades and I<abour Council last night were addressed at considerable length by Mr. P. H. Hickey, a member of the Blackball Union, who i≤ touring the North Island in the interests of his fellow ■workers at the mine. 3lr. Hickey complained in the first instance of the unfair treatment of the miners' case, -which, ie said, had been •meted out by many sections of the Press. The present trouble -was not the outcome of a sudden burst of feeling on the part of the men, but had arisen through a. long series of disputes between the miners and the Blackball Colliery Company. The men were paid by results, at the rate of 2/4 per ton, besides which. they had to supply tools and explosives; bo that their return was under 2/ per ton. There had been trouble -with the management over -weights, the trucks having in the first place being made of green wood, and their drying had decreased the -weights credited to the men. l When they finally managed' to have the trucks re-weighed, results showed that they-were justified in their request. With respect to the crib-time and the desired extension from 15 to 30 minutes, they did not strike on that account; and, moreover, the crib-time was never reduced at the request of the men. " There was only one other mine in tne Dominion ■where the men had less than half an hour, so it would be seen that their request was neither unusual nor extraordinary. Moreover, crib-time was not mentioned in their award. The eighthour principle which had been won in the North years ago was not yet won in Blackball. He denied that the miners had refused to do any trucking, for rather than let the truckers work 10 hours per day, they agreed to assist in. that department of the work. Another complaint which the men. had was the insufficient ventilation in the mine, for though a powerful fan had been installed, the current of fresh air did not always pass the places where the men were working, with the result that the bad air, fumes of explosives, and black damp had a most injurious effect. The alteration of air space per man from 100 to 150 cubic feet, which was made last session, had not, he claimed, been of any benefit to the Blackball miners. Referring to the manager's action in dismissing the speaker and six others, he said that the union maintained that the 1 mine authorities had been guilty .of a breach of the award in dismissing these seven men, who had been active in the interests of unionism. After that was done, and the application for reinstatement refused, all the members of the union, to the number of about 120, refused to go to work. (Loud applause.) He referred also to the sitting of the Arbitration Court, which ended in the men being fined £75, while the three cases against the company were dismissed, with costs £3 3/ against the union. "We are determined to stand to our guns," said slr. Hickey, "and show the mine managers that they cannot discriminate between m«ji and man as they have done." He concluded by remarking, amidst applause, that Unaneial assistance was not so much -what was wanted, as the desire to have their position vindicated in the eyes of their fellow unionists. On the motion of >Ix. Henry, seconded by Mr. Aggers, it was unanimously decided that the Council pledged itself to give moral assistance and financial support to the Blackball miners. It was also decided to send subscription lists to all the Auckland unions.

"DEFIANCE OF THE LAW."

•_ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Tie Wellington Bookbinders and Paper Rulers' Society considered a letter tonight, asking for assistance for the Blackball strikers. It was resolved that the Union, being in favour of conciliation and arbitration as a means of settling industrial disputes, cannot see its way to support the Blackball miners in their denance of the law.