LATEST NEWS FROM BLACKBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 139, 6 March 1908, Page 7

LATEST NEWS FROM BLACKBALL.

CRIB TIAIE: ANOTHER VITAL : QUESTION. INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE. ' I, (by- TELECIIAPn—SPECIAL iCOBRESPONnKNT.) • Greyinouthi March 5. 1 Tho 'situation ht ■ Blackball has naturally 'been relieved somewhat by the announcement this afternoon of tho intention, to prosocuto, butthis not altogether unexpected jnove-was..only.made! pubjic after it became, known that tho. position had reached such ail acute stago that a settlement .was utterlj hopeless. .; Shico tho. last.rpport' , matt<;rs had not.im-' proved, but tho demand'; set lip 'by the; Union for a half-hour's crib timo served to strengthen , tho ■ worst' foars. Ever since : -Mottdqyi.lasi/-;,whonith<>. garden/ Mr. -Eurton,] fined an employee of tho Blackball Coal Com- ' pany .for .'refusing' to ! obey 'orders' tp-obseryo, a "quarter'iof aiuhour's crib timo: tho feeling: qf tho miners 'has .been greatly' .intensified, puiminating'-ih a 1 crowded meeting lsst 'even-; jug, when, it was unaninioiisly -dccjcled that; until tho oompany agreed'/to- allow, .tho men ■to observe half an hour that work should npt'.bo r'ogumed- 1 " In othpr wqrds, thaUnion'; added another .vital question to its demands whioh- tho'' manager refused!',' >• A-*

A NEW QUESTION :This now. question was not, direct-ly com-, niunicated,. -to , t-ho Blackball, Company, butJilr. Lomas-was informod of tho decision, and it is rumoured that on this point the " practical aid of _ tho Stato mines was asked for.',! It was apparently' ejesired7to' get tho ; Stat*? Popartmont into t-ho disputo, anil thus com-: plicate matters, v • : - ■ In a communication to to-night's "Star," tho sccrotary of tho Union has-'tho following' 1 •tq say on this point : — , . ' "As no information can ' bo obtained from tho books, of tho Union in reference to crib tirte, it cannot bo said " that the 15 minutes is an official .agreement of ours. • Honco, thoro being no - binding ■agreement, wo do not consider live" have.) violated any law in taking 30 , ; minutes." It will, no doubt, interest all concerned in : the dispute to know v that the minors liavp;now decided to in-, elude tho enforcement- of 30 minutes crib time in'their demands.,. TVo aro positive that) if tho present-dispute had riot . - occurred tliore would have been-troublo- , in viow of .tho verdict given against Mr., I'. H.Hickey in the Warden's Cohrt on Monday last on that point. . Tho feeling .'. of-the men is now very high on tliatpoint, and tho jnstico of their conteii- : , tiou is backod.b)' ovory concoivablomoral law, and by tho ontiro niodieal frater- : nity. ■' Tho strike has been a week: in progress yesterday, and on the average pay for tho past years tho sum of £603 was lost in ■'

wages. Other Incidental.,items .would. bring linS®' ol the strike for seven days to nearly £1000, besides which ; there is the loss sustained by. tho employers to bo considered. REPLY TO CRITICISM. : V_. The. acting secretary: to the' Union, in' a long, letter in - to-night's "Star," defend- > the. action of the miners, and . replies' ti ■ various criticisms as to broaches of, award ae writes:— : . ■■■ ■ . . ; ■ Mr. Leitch says that it is the miners who have committed a breach of tbe'Arbitra-' tion Act, and should pay the . company * for their loss/ No member of this Union ' ", ns . 'a broach of • - : the . said Act,; but. will anyone, with the'- ' '■ ; A n:e j/ 80 ' 3 ..! before.- them,', dare saythat ■ .. -the; Boers wero'riot compellecV to fight ■ t1i.0,-.British, in'- the,,late South African .- war, and likewiso-were the Japaheso not' compelled to Tight the. Russians? ; There! is such a thing as being goaded on to break any law.- Our. stand may bo anti-' miated _and.-.crude, or. it may bo singu- .. -. larly thin-skinned, ; biit we,-on the-other hand, contend that ,wd-are- lighting,.not- '' for. the right to dig coal, but for.that for ;■---. v which J every' free-born person bolfls so ■ sacred, namoly, the- liborty.: of freecTom ; •of specch. • ."-WHO. IG TS'.'IS MR. MH.LAR 1" Mr. Millar is . tins .bugbear. of . the strikers, and. of him it -is written- L . v .< ' i.- " 0 S°ds/whp is this Mr.Millar?'-.■Xs'.-' be ,some ; ; . omnipotent "spiritual pheriome.- ; non- wlio is guiding the, working men and. • . women :of New Zealand to a haven- of.-. .. - eternal report,- or is lie only'.a menibeiv of our earthly Cabinet,arid , a worKngV -man who took part -in..the late maritime'' strike?" . , 'V : '> /. L : 'Arbitration-..;.Act' .-Amendment Bill is ik '"'ongly objected to. .V ' ~ '.if wo violate the laws. (writes y .. thejmmers' champion), harb we.notitho- -. • choice; of. paying- the .fins ' imposed, or go" ' i'- prisQii ? J'f .r/q , violate.-any,- other law-';'. • in the Dominion wo are given tho alter-' . '.^native^of. "going to' priison, -'andfwo want': •:"know-why,'this,;_law is 'an;..exception? How can. we' hail Mr.: Millar . as an emis-. : .. pry of peace land:goodwill when lie :ha3-'--" V\-' .been. ; the[means -of .instituting an Act which ompowers the'/authorities .to 'do- -.': ,V comforts of'a ; ;hor. : SD.and ' . to confiscato'tlie -last . coin .wo possess, though our -wives, and children be starv- -- ■'/ I j>S : froihy simply./.'/because wo •;■■■■ dared .toj striko a' blow for' our industrial ' liberty. VHWTILVnON -V-. ■ of 4n interview-.with ■ ii , relative "to'-.defectiye ventilniion. _ .asked' the"Minister for Lands* to: brmg .under, the 'notice.' 'of the Minister for that tJ !? : veiitilfitipn iii'hthe; M lack tall mine v was seriously. defective. >Ho.' i i Hlck °y) c 'P°ke strongly thenagainst tle bad;.ventilation.-'-,1110 Minister/for, Linda'., then said. "Do.you mean to say that the Inspector- of Mines- is not doing his'.duty ?". - - ,f n managpr's'. statement that, the ".ventilation- is all bright,'- the secretary l ■ writes-:.v\

. Does Mr. Leileh remember , olio'night n?t so very Jong .ago',' whaii'two of . the •••' men came out.early off ithe shirt ': ■■told, bim that, the fan ..must li.ivb '"bepa:stopped, Vs. the ;air would' not'"even "urn.; their lights 'inside the air, boxes, anuvthat ; 'they: had -been .voniitiug", from : the effects .' of bad air.". . ' - -'i

ALL QUIET AT BLACKDALL. •; Blackball remains very 1 .quiet : .:,that : a. striko'ig'm progress'. ' ' ' - Last .night the Miners' ■ Union* ran a social : : and Ictace^admissipTi''free," : aiid .'this" after l v■ - noon; there; was . a..football. match,so;; that variety can.he got'm. tho little town at pfe- : ; sent. v , • the Arbitration Court assembles proceedings should' bo most interesting.-The 1 mmcrs.. dcclaro that;, they - will -be'..able, t-oi i' ;;■ proye\their■ contentions-up;to the.hilt, while ; : tile 1 employers .' are,, equally determined.. 1 Al- . -.. together proceedings "will.' bo;'of :a .more -thin ' 1 usually; interesting . description. . ;y ■- Tms-isjthe first .occasion on which, an/industrial union of workers has been nrose- ;;. cuted-for breach of the-Act; : ; ; V " In'':"fcown a; definite move in the matter : nas been ..welcomed, as it was feared that we A'-;, oiisthe .verge., of having a prolonged nd bitter fight.