BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

1, NEGOTIATIONS PRACTICALLY BROKEN OFF. , : MEN''AS DETERMINED 'AS EVER. . THE SITUATION MOST; SERIOUS. • f |»Ti' TItEGBArK— SPECIAL c?orhespondknt.) Creymodtt), March 4 Tho position at Blackball -is that'the negotiations between tho forties, havo been practically ' broken off.: . : Mr. Lomas, Chief: -of Factories, ■i.has -returned to town, aityl.'has, telegraphed full details of the strike-to'/tho Minister for Labour, but beyond this nothing further has as yet been done. j i ,It - appears that, yost&rd&y. morning Mr. Lomas attendod: a meeting of: tho Union and suggested that tho•; men. accept the 'man-. ager.'s -word ,of lionourMthat the dismissed men would not .be victimisedand relurn. to ' work,; and- that all other matters in dispute be referred to an independent tribunal. Mr: was informed .Vlatc;r- in;-tho .day that thei.Union had,agreed to remain firm in their demands ) An" absolute r deadlock- was .thus created, Bnd has. continued > since,- both' parties apparently waiting other to move. .The.'strikers arfe' as'.,determined as evei;, , and -the: employers!'gay thoy mil not give • way on such a vital'ipoint.': Thesituation is.ciioiv regarded as tho most serious that has > arisen since the maritime strike,- and denying' (ho fact that in certain quarters ;a groat deal of annety is.folt as to what-'other Unions on the coast will do. t ' The ' fact;ithir£'/the i Westland Trades and Labour- CounciTv-openly" espouses the' cause of -the 'strikerAfshews that the 'great' majorify of -'tho : coal;- Jftmors . support the Blackball men in tho action thoy have taken. .- TARE OF THE TUBS. - To-night". fiov'.'Star" . publishes ' some, further correspondence that took place between tho to tho strike. On January 17 the secretary of the rUnion'first mado a demand , fpr' tare - of the ;tubs to be taken in the following:terms .■t -"I"'im-instructed- to writo asking' you: ■ ■to arrange for; taking ■ tho tare' of the ■ empty- tubs at rfyour earliest conveni- ' As, no - reply iwas received during, the en- • 'Buing' fortnight' (tho employers! stating that \hey were waiting for an idle day), the company, were again -written to on February : 3 .by tho'secretary, as follows:—,.. • • ;"I• was• instructed to write to you ask-- >: " ing ;that a;taro of'tho empty, tubs bo • taken' at your ■ earliest ■ possible conveni- ; ; v i:ence.i This is:now close.on a month ago., r ■j .'-.Lcarried out my instmctions, but. up to i the present moment, havo received no w : /'-Kindly-reply at your 'earliest conyenience." • . ■■ i On,: February 7, Mr. Leitch wroto as folJoyvsiT-, ' , -".h- "Your-letter'.of 3rd; ,-inst. to' hand. Yourcommunication '.-refers to one sent 'c. v formerly,.-, and which . should bear the 'j dato of January -3. -.-No-/letter- was re-'. :: ceived 0. , .i that'dato. I would therefore-'' , ask you.:to. lundly.jlook, at' your file. I i - am-- about certain .tho , period 'of ■ ono 1 .'■' month, is-!'Bomdwhatr>inflated,- and wo •

• would .be pleased if the dates were quoted to the- tare .of. n tho tubs, it is the intention to have this ■ ' done at first favourable opportunity.-' 1 s 1 At-this stage miners demanded that 'tha laro -be i; taken, • and the management ac- - ceded to the request ■■ and had • tho - tubs weighed-. ' Theso showed a decrease in weight /. of from. 14 to 16 pounds, which weight the jminers.contend they-had been losing on their output. It may bo; explained , that the miners get'paid, on the: amount 1 of coal mined, so tnat tho; decrease in;, the.weight'ofthe tubs .«neaht; ; .that v.thoy,; wereUoserV thereby:.-'.i 1 ■• In reply ,to. this , tho -employers point out <hat in winter time the wooden l tubs'betoraoi heavier owing: to the prevailing wot weather. . -. Their- weight of tubs was the . average:weight for tho year. Tho tare, they contend, has beon in favour of the miners V). the. tune of some 1200 tons per annum. . WAITING FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO i ACT. . -.' ,- (BT TSIEGEAPH—ritESS ASSOCIATION,) . | Croymouth, March 4. . The. employers .stato that they have ftmshed with tho raatterj.it is for tho Labour Department '.to', proceed now.. : . Mr., Lomas: has'sent tho Minister full- dc-1 .--• tails, but no reply has yot .been received. Naturally,, the,greatest-reticence is. being observed ;as: to 'tho -future, but Tumour says ; that tho. Jaw. will 'bo put in >t motion; ■ v J -, STATEMENT BY.THE MINISTER:' j .". THE LAW MUST BE UPHELD. • . .In yesterday's telegrams from' Blackball . -appeared tho following; 1" As complaints xiow being made that the ventilation is bad, tho . Blackball, Coal; Company to-d"v -M&--1 graphed to tho Minister for him to_ appoint; any outside expert to cxamino tho mines, in .this respect." • . , ~ iThe 1 Minister for-Mines .(the 'Hon. J. M'Gowan) • said yesterday that no communication had beon recoived ■ frdm . the mino , managers; as stated, ;but there, could be no-; thing in tho allegations regarding bad venti- ; lation, as tho ;Govornment inspectors wero . always on the spot, and this was one of thethings most closely watched in mines: Ho thought/.,some' misunderstanding must have arison. . No. mines m the world, wore', tetter : ventilated 'than those in Now Zealand. ■ Speaking of -: tho position at Blackball, he /..said that; if tho newspaper statements were correct (he had no other information) tho . law:appeared to have, beon broken, and, the law must bo, uphold. LABOUR SYMPATHY. 'At a' mcoting of tho Wellington .Trades Council Labour Representation Committee last evening a resolution was passed express-' 'ing; fullest; individually with tho seven men employed by tho Blackball Mining Company who wero-dismissed, and express-' / ing-tho opinion; that tho Union followed tho only reasonable course in the circumstances. • Aucklana, .March 4. . At tho mooting of tho Trades and Labour Council -to-night 'a resolution' of sympathy, with the Blackball miners was carried. Ono delegate'opposed the motion,'on tho ground that tho men' had .'redress under tho Arbitration Act, but several replied that tho Act had been ;usod against tho workers.