BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 148, 17 March 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

NO CHANGE IN THE POSITION. .: : . • : APPEAI. FOR'iFUNDS. THE ALLEGED PROMISE; !, ... ' r .y; (DX - TEIiGBAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) . Westport, March 16. Hickey, one of the dismissed. Blackball miners, and now a delegate,. addressed a meeting of minors ,at Denniston last night. . Tho men decidod to subscribe to the funds to*. assist' towaras tho' maintonanco of tho ■ ; women and children at Blackball.'. ; ■ It'is unlikely that the: trouble at' Blackball < , 1 ■will, affect) tho-'regular-.working of the/mines in- tho^egtßort.distriot;r, .... y.<f ,• .... ~J ' A suggestion made 'atf tfro*meeting that the. minors should lay down their tools, did; not .meet with any support ■ whatover.. .. . ■ ' Later. • Thpro •is changp', in; the , position ,of '• I affairs at Blackball. . . ' 1 ' . ' Th'is i'moniing 'the- Miners''.'Union held a., meeting,/and decided to stand- firm.' ■ . ,The . State. coalminers' are' determined not to .tako part in t|ie trouble, and express . AthemKlyesl.Veiy/ much "against.. thevattitudo .pfv.thp' -,At Tynoside the question is not_ considered, the" men blaming ragitaters'^forftho^oubldi 4 • ' . It;..isjuidersixtodithat the member for the:... ' district will visit; Blaxskball-. tpJay. to italk '; w'itii'the'miners, view, ; to a settlement:'"- ; ' .4.The.-, mine, manager .has,forwarded, the' folr .' loi^g'J^cjprams''to.'the publi-. /. ' cation, v stating ■ that • they ■ havo . been' held > • feaok, as. it was thought the men would ;re-\ ' turn to work to-day, but since they have! noi ;' he js ■ them publicity.. ,'v "Blackball' Coal Company, ' 1.1 . M, , "Chrisjahurch. "It is imperative .that.you find Mr.' - and ask him if, he informed the miners that v tho manager would make a public stalo■ment; in Court after the verdict was!,read,not, to..victimise tho men. The men; ask his reason,"for giving the: in- .. A Thef manages; gave; his word . 'V'of publio' Statement was . ■v promised or mentioned at, the conferenco • on' Thursday afternoon. . ' ~ "JAS. LEITCH, ' i . "Blackball." The following roply was received:— ■ , . "Mr. .M'Cullough'denifcs .'having;%m- .. v . formed-tho-minors-thafc-you-'K'ouldjnake ...a statement in' Court. He has wired: to . i the that• his; recollections.;. i• of-,^he;,conference , 1 is ;that;.)y6u,K having, i . .already made a, promise in such,a public 0.-, manner a statement by you iin Court was agreed to be waived., ~ ! ' ' "M'KELLAR."

11 (Bt xsr.EOEAl'n—srECiAr, coBUEsroJTUEMX.) :■ . ; y Ghristchurch, March 16. ; . The "Times,'' discussing the Arbitration and Conciliation |Act, remarks"Mr. \V. P. Roeves . had a ; shrewd understanding; of : ; jhumau nature whon;lks-said in s the.Houso of (Representatives a dozoft years ago that men ,-. hud wom-eji would, always prefer voluntarism to compulsion.' and that .both employers j and ( ; ; /workers-.would bo moro readily reconciled to : U'ii' agreement, they had'made between them-: • + ■ selves'thaii, to anaward that - had been- , thrust: upon, them,'by aiCourtii .vjVfr.;'Reoves's •own ; expectation ; wa's : that' nine-tenths' of - the ' ■■■'. 'ilisputwi '■ Ihai'Ccamd* -tritiliiii- 5 the scope .of S» Conciliation- and Arbitration Act' would be fsottled: 1 by• conciliation;Aand we have. little v, /doubt .toi'. applied/himsotf; tq';:strengtheimg- . .. . tho Boards instead of ttyom, > tho .Arbitration Court-would ha've b'oen iiYucli xss -\; 'seVerely.ytaKedvthauvit' has been .'during the past four or five years.' 'Tho .whole, course .- of events suioe'the' risuig.of ;Parliaijient goes; to-show.:that Mdlar's Amending Bill proceeding' oil right lines. , .. , -Th'ero-'can .bo.'.litblo tlijit- if 'a! pro- , ■ ' Body .had,' been in existence;.- '• to-deal with tho Blackball trouble, • as, Mr.'" McCnllough and Mr, Brown. tried to deal v ~wit-li' it',,informally," on abiding : rfehched) a week ! ago: with . 1 far.', loss • irritationthan is . now possible on either • side." ' ,