MINERS AND THE LEVY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20273, 26 June 1931, Page 10

MINERS AND THE LEVY.

A NATIONAL BALLOT. REASON FOR DECISION. (SPECIAL TO THB PRESS ) * GREYMOQTH, June 25. It is reported that all Miners' and Seamen's Unions in tho Dominion will within the next few days take a secret ballot on the question of the payment of any future unemployment levy. On Tuesday a ballot taken among the members of the West Coast Miners' Union resulted in a decision not to pay further instalments of the levy, by a majority of 219 votes to 111, the men giving as a reason for their decision their general objection to the Unemployment Scheme, on the ground that through it they did not receive as much relief during the periods they were out of work as they had done, before the introduction of the scheme, through charitable aid and local bodies. It will be remembered that after the. lock-out which resulted in the Blackball miners being thrown out of work, employment was offered them under the No. 5 Scheme, but the men refused to accept the offer, and outside relief workers had to bo sent to the township to carry out the work. It is not known whether employers of miners on the West Coast intend to pay the workers' levies; it is understood that they are waiting to learn of the Government's attitude in the matter. At Blackball. The only development in the dispute between the Union miners at Blackball and the small party of co-operative miners who arc working on the .Blackball Coal Company's • freehold is that attempts have been made to dissuadethe seven Nelson Creek men who recently joined the party from continuing to work with it. Yesterday an official of the West Coast Timber-workers' Union visited the party and advised the seven new men to cease operations. The men continue to work with the co-operative party, however, and the work of getting the mine ready for the production of coal proceeds undisturbed. At Blackball the police are being kept at full strength. THE DISPUTE AT BLACKBALL. (press association temgbah.> WELLINGTON,' June 25. Replying to Mr A. McLagan, secretary of the United Mine Workers, Mr T. 0. Bishop, secretary of the Coal Mine Owners' Association, says:—"The Blackball Company has no quarrel with unionism as such. There is no attack by tho company upon unionists. There was a dispute between the company and the union as to the working of the No. 3 dip section of tho mine. On February 16th, Mr McLagan was told tho terms upon which the company was prepared to carry on tho work in that section, and, failing acceptance, the section would bo stopped. The. company's terms wore rejected by Mr McLagan and the section has now been stopped and the stoppage is permanent. Tho dispute has therefore been ended. Tho company hopes to develop the No. 2 dip section and is inviting tenders for the necessary work. There is nothing to prevent members of the Blackball Union submitting tenders." •