BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 157, 27 March 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. ;« , CONFLICTING RUMOURS. ; .■ FEARS THAT THE TROUBLE MAY , T: - . -- SPREAD. ■. <. i . (BY TELEGEArH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Creymouth, March 26. There are persistent rumours that negotia« tions are; proceeding for: a settlement of the 'Blackball dispute, and that in a few > days the striko. will bo settled. ' . On'.boing .interviewed, the manager stated y that, a?, far as ho knew, such was not tho case, and the minors deny any knowledge) of what is going on.v There'is a feeling abroad that tho striko will spread, The Blackball Union has ap- ; pealed to tho Tynesido Minors' and Wharf •Labourers' '"Union to cease work. ■> The Tynosido miners aro holding a.meoting on Saturday, afternoon to .consider tho matter. -V An old minor, ono who has worked iu tho district for. many years,, states;, that there is a good-deal of discontent among Tynesido miners, and lie would not bo surprised if they considered tho Blackball request favourably.- Tho causo of complaint with tho Tyno. side miners is that Blackball boats aro boing suppliod with Tynesido coal.; Tho result of tho meeting on Saturday ■ will jjo anxiously awaited; •• .

Tho Grey wharf labourers meet on Sunday; afternoon, and tho position will bo i considered. From interviews with several prominent wharf labourers, there appears' no: reason ,to believe they will throw • down their tools/! as requested by tho Blackball \ strikers. 7 . ; y~" > The position looks serious, ■ and tho Blaek-' 'ball .miner? are; as determined,'as oyer.. I f ' If negotiations for " a settlement aro. proceeding, it'looks peculiar that letters should he- sent to,, tho Tynesido miners and wharf labourers, asking'them to strike. _ NEGOTIATIONS PROCEEDING. (Br IILEQItiPn—SPECIAL COnEESPONEBNT.I fr' •'% Owynwutfyi'Maroh-' 26.v .•' Negotiations aro; still.' 1 proceeding . for ••' a' ■; settlement of the Blackball troublo, and it is ( . confidently hoped that an agreement. will be;. ■ reached to-morrow. Representatives of' she miners say that this -is probablo. , , PRESS OPINIONS. •f •■' H 'j- r ■ f —'Ilogarding tho decision of the Minister for ' -Mines' not'.to visit tho , coast, to-night's '"Star" says:—"lt would be far moro to' 'tho ''advaritago^of; everyono cpncprried on the . •AVost'-p ( oast:,6f' this island if tho'hori. gentle-. man"would revoke tis\decision; and' would at Onco proceed ill this direction to confer with those progress of this part ..of ;,thp iDomiiuoS positio'n of, affairs' at Blackball; with' a 'He^'of bringing about a settlement of the dispute nov: dragging its weary Way along for over a .month between S[tho t; b.wn'ors §of tho'-mirio arid the , • men< formerly"praploypd thprP:'': Wo have no Tdoubt whatever that Mr. M'Gowan, with the' influenco of the Government; at, his back, iould in a 'fow da'ys' at:':jtije,:butsido bring. j matters to i a satisfactory conclusion; and that tho upheaval in ,the coal:trade caused by tho ; . cessation-/ of -work, aty tho Blackball mine . it--.of , ev.ory i on 6' r c®corned sucli a settlement. is most d&irable.V ■ The-Minister mayoouterid .'that - tho'. mattor,. having, boon bofore the Arbitration. Court'-is. now, so, far . as; tl{o |Iaw i( is'',conMmydi.. doneVwi&7-except , so far as iSo.^ymebt'.t^tte;iffio."^''coßts. , aro.v.'concqrned, ,;but ; tho) circumstances ,-ro such 'is to warrant: tho .intorforenco of tho Minister in chargo of tho Minos Department, as the law itself is . being dofi-od on the- one • partpand rtlioro'appe:\rs;to bo no action taken by tho,authorities to see that tho law is ro--'''spbeted oithov, in theletter,-' epirit, or any, ' other particular."- ,•. V V~' ~ , , AN ARCHDEACON'S APPEAL. Tho Veil. Archdeacon York appeals m to night's " Star'' to tho miners to resume : ' '#sHi|iand.refer,^tho; : matter fin,dispute to. th« ' Arbitration Court. Regarding tho summary ' - dismissal .of- tho ,'men>v'.he says: " I.think il .; is high'time that a'more satisfactory system ~ . was instituted-; Common courtcsy as between mastor and workman requires notico of inteiitiohii tp?cerise - work to •bo given; on:either/ ■ side unless r under very esooptional circum- . ' .stances.) .rln 'the ,present l ..case; tho .ihstan-J dismissal of seven : meii without reason or explanation was . calculated • to: • aroilso ''resentment on tho parti of tho men- . "themselves, ahd also'.- their, follow-workmen. : " Tho sooner a law lS'framed and put m opera- ■ 1 tion' requiring a cert-am notico of cessation of'work,or dismissal tho hotter. As to tho other matter, in.'dispute'between the minora .' and tho company, tho evideneo was before a. • i .prbp'erlyVcbnstitnted.. Court,;/ : the / Judge / ' has givdni:his 'decision; 'Tho-miners should . , : now provo x themselvcs law-respecting citizens; i by submitting;'to'tho verdict of the Court." ..; • As.to the crib time dispute, ho says: "Wo . ; • are,!, assured '.that y-liKel.'cMhpany.V'areswilling;'-^,,'. to concode tho moil twenty minutes' crib i time,-and - lf-'itho <Arbitration Court sees ; reason to'awarf-jthirty. minutes!.:cnb^time tho ' 'company, will concede that also..' As ; tlia >; I oxtTa:'timo',is taken from,'tho comp'ariyj;; and,.:' ." I with the running >of tho. aerial;':. '; ! tram, the.company should certainly■ have:t-Uo■ j 'sariio'''right'; as: tho \ liion' 5 of-putting ..bhoir.. sid«j ,'pf ; tlie'i'qnestibn 'boforo' tho' Conrt, , v ;juen. shouid, ; bo willing.to abide by the'Court!t .; -decision." ' • ■■ ■ '■ : y- '-y A "DELEGATE'S ADDRESS. ;; MEETING IN TIJK TOWN HALL. ' Al)'oiit' ,, 2oo'pbrsoris,. mostlyworking; men. • attended the address :in the Town Hal] Concert Eqpm jlastvcvening by Mr. P. H. •Hickcy, a momher of,the Blackball Miners' : | Union, ■ pn the j Blackball' trouble; Mr. Hickoy's. feiriilrks' woro?-woll received "and frequently applauded. Ho was particularly, • condemnatory--of thq .Press of the Dominion in its alleged attempts to place wrong views • of .tho trouble before; tho people. : . - 7 The Chairman,, Mr. W. H. Hampton, said' • that tho Blackball affair was not a fight or : revolt against tho Arbitration and. Conciliation Act. What tlioy : wore Tigh'ting and : protesting against was the- way in which y politics wore "entering .into .tho, ndministia- , tion of the Act, and ,tlie impartial manner in which it was boing enforced agaiiist tlia workers, the employing classes being allowed :.te-Sr|ve-'thbiri.coaohosjaud fours through-its provisions. Mr. I-Ifckoy said )hd 'had been deputed by tho Blackball Union' to place the, position bofqro :tho people; ; ' ,'Hd ; found that a; largo : / section';"'of capitalistic Press!' ,'wero biased ••^ai9sfc7-th'bmh;;. ; 'i([Appl#n?o.)V'' v .''Th|:-- ' Press liad attempted to clog 'tho-issues. They t iSaid.',that agitators .had brought, about tlia ' present;, position. , ,Could ono or-. two. mtjn havo over their followa , as to keep numbqrs'' of- men out of'.employment' : ' under .-a falso-position for so long? If agi..tators wore responsiblc for t.ho position, hownvor, more powor to them, for it 4 .was for>th« good of the workers and Unionism.' (Applauso.l THb position;-was :' really brought about by a body of workers, representing: 125 fcftea, cJfho were determined to, their- .wrongs.

Their,terms now wore that. the .men should bo;taken.back, and should not .bo discriminated againstvin tho futuro; that, thoy should . have an eight' hours' day,'-and- half an hour crib-time. (Applause.) . "Can you. conceive of men: gobbling their meai' in fifteen minutes?" he cried.; (Voices: Shame!) It was bad.onough above groundi but infinitely worse in ..a mine*../. (A female . voice You doserve .it ifyou put up, .with it.—Laughter, and JTffls matter, of crib 'jbime.wap' .now keeping them from a settlement. : As to . the. decision (of/tho. Arbitration Court, he said: "We had only to look at Judge, Sim's face 'to see that it was hopeless, from tho first." .(Cheers.) In fact, the Judge, in' giving his decision, had gone out of his way to criticise the' Wellington and other .political Trades and Labour Councils., On th« point at issue, crib: time,' the. men .were not going to budge.' (Applause.) "Wo do not caro for the Court; a, rap," he said. Wo don't bother our heads about, the: Arbitration Court."- (Cheers.); Ho.referred to the fine of £75. as exorbitant for a first offence,, the maximum being £100. The offence had been oommitted under the most aggravated, circumstances. , They did not care a nang how .soon 'the' Department 'took'. .'steps. '; (Applause.) Despite tho'statementsto tho-con-trary, ,tho workers of the;■ Dominion, 'were, .showing- Approval of the action of the Blackball men! "(Cheers.) ' ..." \. :■ ~ N A collection of £4 10s. 7Jd. was'then taken tip for the wives and families, of the miners. The Chairman said the .delegates were paying their, own expenses.': ' ' ' Y' On the motion of Mr. Eagle, it was resolved, with;.applause: -." That this, meeting endorses, the action of: the miners' of-Black-ball; inj tho stand they have' taken, and trusts they;.will continue to keep that/stand until they get full rights and justice." A further, resolution, was carried that the meeting pledged itself to prevent the strikers,; .of Blackball being starved out.-'-It was also'resolved: '-'That this, meeting Kas 'no' confidence in any law, placed on the Statute Book in the • making of which the. workers are not consulted.". . . .