THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 103, 30 April 1908, Page 6

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

CLAIM FOB DAMAGES.

BY USION PRESIDENT

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

GREYMOUTH, Wednesday.

At the Ahaura Court to-day the case Henry Fox, the president of the Blackball Miners' Union, against the Blackball Coal Company, a ejaim for £55 for wrongful dismissal, was commenced before Mr. Turton, SAL, and a jury of five-

The claim sets forth that on January 8 the company engaged plaintiff to mine for coal at a place allotted to him in the mine for a term"of three months, or until such coal was worked out, at a price of 2/4 per ton; that plaintiff entered upon the performance of this work, and continued to mine for coal from January 8 to February 26, when defendants wrongfully and unlawfully dismissed him, and prevented him from completing work, whereby he lost the value of certain work which he had performed, and was prevented from earning the full value of his work to the extent of £55. Mr. Guinness appeared for claimant and Mr. Hannan Hooper for the defendant company. Plaintiff in evidence stated that he had ■worked in Blackball off and on for six years. He restarted work in August last. On February 26 the manager dismissed him at a moment's notice. There were about 10 tons of coal laying, and it would take him a week to square up. This would give him 70 to 80 tons. There was no agreement with the company as to getting 14 days' notice. When he was engaged he was not promised any term of employment, but the usual practice in other mines was to get 14 days' notice of dismissal.

Cross-examinod, plaintiff admitted that when he left the mine on a previous occasion he did not give notice, but left , because the manager wanted him to do so then. It was a fact that he had left Denniston mine without giving notice, but his pay was stopped. He had also left the State mine without 14 days' notice, hut he had told the manager he was going. The case was adjourned till to-morrow morning. TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL'S _i... ACTION. - MORE INFORMATION WANTED. At last evenings meeting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council, the president (Mr. Arthur Rosser) stated that he had forwarded a letter to the secre- _ iary; of .the. Blackball Miners' Union, ask- " ing for adequate information on the subject of the condition of affairs in the strike, such information not having been tendered them since the departure of Mr. Hickey, the delegate, some weeks' ago. Mr. Rosser stated that he had drawn at tention to certain statements made through the Press as to the methods in which the money subscribed was being distributed, and asking for explanations, as many of the Auckland Unions had donated considerable sums. Mr. Rosser then remarked to the meeting that the various unions had been rather taken aback at the statements' made in the Press, and it was desirable that full facts should be forthcoming in order that the outside public should not -be-led to jeer and jibe, at the methods employed The meeting unanimously passed a resolution approving of the president's ' action" in forwarding the letter. "L'.Jt'was announced at the meeting that the Waterside Workers' Union had donated £10 to the strikers' funds and the Auckland Cabmen's Union £5.