BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 154, 24 March 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

THE PRESENT,POSITION.,. ,w MEN WILL NEITHER WORK NOR PAY THE FINE. DETERMINED;, TO FIGHT TO THE END. (BY TELEGRAM.—I'BESS ASSOCIATION.) Creymouth, March 23. - A meeting of the 1 Blackball Miners' : ' Union was liotd'this morning at -Black- ■ bail, urhen an extraordinary resolution was carried not to pay the, £15 fine . imposed by the Arbitration Court, and to completely; ignore the wholo matter. It was further -decided-not, to go to work until half in hour crib time was allowed. ... , • :• Tho action of "tiiei miners is severely commented on in town, and regret -is felt thatthey are so ill-advised'.; ■ .... ... The meeting was determined not to give way, and'to fight the.position ,to.«an..cnd r - Very severe remarks were made 011 the Arbitration Court, and as a protest which will bo felt the riiin'ers' decid«V to" sot'it at' : defiance. . v : The time fixed by the Government for tho payment of the ; fine was up to-day, and it will bo interesting to see what action the Government will take. . It, is. also stated that Hickey. has not paid tho: fine imposed on him some weeks,ago by. the Magistrate in conncction with disobedience at the Blackball mine. . '•■ : ■: The Bruniier Workers'. Uriion'lias'donated. £21 out of its funds,-'arid gives £30. a.week .until tho trouble .is settled. . , -' .' . , Some of the. married men are getting work at the Paparoa and Ngahere Railway Works. Tho Brunner Tjiiior passed the following resolution:— - " That the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Labour, be. informed that this t Union has no confidence in" the consti- ' .tufion of -.the.. Arbitration' Court, and '" strongly urges him to pass iegisiation to amend the same." • The action of the miners,; to-, day .in refus.--ing to pay the fine 'removes all hopes of : an early settlement.. Business people, in town state' that they can feel, the effects of . tlio strike at Blackball; and they are. not willing to send goods on credit. ~. .The Blackball storekeepers have already stopped - credit. • Tho miners havo received the first strike pay, £1 being distributed to, eachTman. .; v SOUTHLAND. UNSYMPATHETIC. (BY TELEGItAI'II—PRESS ASSOCIATION.!)' ' .V .Invercargill, March- 23. At tho annual meeting of the Southland Trades and Labour Council: ths Blackball; striko Was discussed, , biit ; no.' action' ' was 'taken, the-general opinion expressed being tliat. tho Arbitration Act must bo preserved and upheld. , „ , . DISSATISFACTION'' WITH AREMTRA* ' TSON COURT. 1 - '. [BY COKRESPONDEKI.]' "" Creymouth, March 23. Tho latest move by . the: Blackball Union, i.e., the decision'riot to pay'the fine, is the most important development' that, lias taken, place" in strike matters' sirice\th6 .continuance) of tho struggle was decided'on. ' The miners make '■ 110 secret 'of the • fact' "that this has been done by tho men on account of; tho •groat - dissatisfaction that exists at the decision of the Arbitration Court. It is evident that the O^njon-amongst the miners, is gaining that' tie 'time,! has-.come for jits abolition. In.'support -of.-'this step it is argued that tho'Court lias been; of 110. real practical benefit. !;'Since, the inception of tho Coui't tho cost -of'living,has.gone up 25. per cent., while the .iiicrcase in'wa'fecs lias.brily been 121- per 'so'that' the' workers. aro really losers. ,, ;l • , The Brunner grant .of 0 per cant, of wages to assist the strikers is worth about £30 por week. . Jv' i '•! ' v

Miv D. IC. Pritchard has telegraphed to tho editor of the " Star" from Christchurch as-follows:— , o/i'■'0•»•'. •' , V * . 'r "To prevent a misunderstanding regarding my Christchurch address,-I never;-' . insinuated that':, tho'. manager should .ho , , kicked out. My personal opinion: is that --; the manager is g00d,.-but-that circura- . stances have compolled'liim'"to"be .what''' 'ho is: 1,, did not : say anything against ! - . the Arbitration. Court,..but 1 against .tho administration. The whole report is misrepresented. The rumour of my cou- • testing a Constituency never emanated fromtme. I said .it .was high time that..., .the,' miners . had . direct' "representation, '< • and I certainly would contest the seat if chosen to db'~so. r "l'aui-h'ddrMsing thoi i Lyttelton • stevedores to-night,-'.'-Timaru •;.; and Dunedin following." ' Tho manager. (Mrs Leitch) , states' that; as far as tho employers''dre c3ncefned, ; no newdevelopments havo taken place. UNION DELEGATE IN WELL!NGTON. THE TRADES COUNCIL'S SYMPATHY. - MONETARY;,-HELP,. TO,; BEGIVEN.'"; ;; A special meeting, '.of , .tho—Wellington, ■Trades and Labour' Council: was held- last, night, about 100: delegates and Unionists, at-' tending. : Mr. Hickoy, the delegate;from the., Blackball Miners' Union, attended' to lay, before tho Council the position at Blackball. Ho was enthusiastically received.!. "At the closo of tho address the following resolutions were carried:—

"(1) That, in the opinion of this Council, the demand of tho Blackball . . Minors' Union for half air,four's,, crib time was a reasonable'and'just demand,' : and one that should ho . .immediately igranted by. the Blackball Company. . / •" (2) That tho Council i3 i convinced- of tho necessity of supporting tho wives and children of the .Blackball,.minors, and that the secretary, be ■'•instructed .to .circularise tho Unions in • Wellington, - ' asking thorn ■to vote a, lump, sum. imnie- . dijvtely, and to contribute so much" per week towards the support of the .wives and families of tho miners." i • : A further resolution was passed as follows: : : .K ' " That this meeting, of Unionists recognises that, according .to the • decision '• of Mr. Justice Sim, in the Blackball .•.Minions' Union case, the'employers'havo. -' 7 the right under tho law to discriminate ' against Unionists, and that,'. until tho ■law is amended so as to render adequato protection to the workers, Unionists can- ■ not do other than protect themselves." The administration of the Arbitration Act was severely criticised during tho discussion of the motions. Especially severe were delegates in their comments oil what they considered the partisan, attitude of^tho President of tho Court in adjudicating upon tho different cases of strikes; and lock-outs - and enforcements of awards that had beon dealt with by . the Court. . A collection was taken up in tho room, and the sum of : £4 was subscribed. ..." '' A.-;special: meeting 1 is to bo arranged by the executive, of- the' Council to give Mr. Hicltoy an opportunity-'of acquainting tho .public .with the men's view u of tho case. When interviewed last evening tho Hon. J. A. Millar (who returned from Napier by the evening's express) would make no statement regarding tho action of tbo Government in tho matter of the fine.

Photos of Trentham' Rifle mooting, ArawaTe Anuu Collision, Maori Wharf- Collision, ;'ttud .other - groups at. Zak's. Depot,, 24 , Willis Street-