WORK AND WAGES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 140, 12 June 1908, Page 3

WORK AND WAGES.

FARM LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

toy Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. JVtr Minson, chairman of the Conciliation Board, has sent the following telegram to the president of the Arbitration Court, in. reply to one received relative to the Board's failure to present a report on the farm labourers' dispute: "In reply to your telegram received yesterday, the Board of Conciliation has neither refused, nor desired to refuse, to complete the work referred to it, but the Department did not grant the necessary time, or even the month allowed by the Act. Notwithstanding that, I understand the Court now directs the Board to proceed with its report and recommendations." The Board will meet to-morrow to consider the curious position. The members of the new Board will be sworn in before Mr Justice Denniston to-morrow morning.

DISTRAINING ON FURNITURE.

WELLINGTON, Thursday. Several hundred workers, tbe majority being wharf labourers, gathered round the Queen's Statue, opposite the General Post-Office, Welington, at midday on Wednesday, to protest against the action of the Government in distraining on the furniture of the Blackball miners. The following resolution was passed—"That this meeting of Wellington workers expresses its sympathy with the miners of Blackball, whose household goods were seized and sold at the instigation of the Minister for Labour, in default of payment of the £75 fine inflicted upon the members of the union for their act of striking, as a protest against the victimisation of their comrades because of their political opinions. We workers of Wellington express our disgust that a so-called Liberal Government should resort to such oppressive and coercive measures against the workers of New Zealand, when such a Government has utterly failed to provide proper legal protection against victimisation, and we call upon the working classes of New Zealand to sink all their little differences, and combine and organise so that at the next genera? election they shall vote solidly as a class, and exclude from office the persecutors of their comrades on the West Coast goldfields.

THE WANGANUI STRIKE.

WEIuXSGTON, this day. The "Wellington Traces and Labour Council passed a resolution urging the Wanganui strikers to remain firm, ai d asking navvies not to go to Wajiganui till the men's demands are granted.

COST OF BLACKBALL STRIKE.

The "Westport Times" states that the Blackball miners loss in wages during the nine weeks the 6trike was in progress was fully £ 6800. The total monetary loss, it is stated, cannot be less than £ 12,500, taking into consideration the damage suffered by the company. About £1400 was distributed in strike pay amongst 130 or 140 men affected by the trouble. \