BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

" LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. , I . y:>y., ■■ • ~ V . -vj MEETINCS OF TYNESIDE MEN AND j WHARF LABOURERS. j REFUSE TO CEASE WORK. j QUESTION DISCUSSED-B1 T BRUNNEB ;. ! UNION. : (DT-TEtiEOaArH— PttKSS. ASSOCIATION.). ! ■ •••! ' Cr,eymouth, March 29. Tho Blackball miners were greatly disapi I pointed on Saturday when the Tynosida, j rofußod .to ; ■ j strike.' Delegates .from Blackball Arrived to ■ i attend and ; address tho. mooting, but wore -i refused.admittanco as.they were not mem- ■ i bers of the Union. Mr. Russell/ a director ; i of the Tyncside, and also a member of tho. Unlon,'f attended "tho meeting,, and. pointed ,X y ■ out tho great loss x that would bo incurred . ; by. tho mine being closod'down. Tho voteagainst striking was 78 to 12. : •' •' Tho news wa3 received m Blackball witbj ■ disgust, it-being understood that tho ■ j sido miners would stand ,by tho Blackball v,j

-A.- meetuig. of-.'the;. Wharf' Labourers' ... Union was hold' this■<afternoon; to consider tho questyon, of. striking, out of sympathy with tho . Blackball minors.: It was unani,raoiisly,*i(lccided .not to ,striko,and that a levy of S per cent, on tho men's total wages bo mado for tho maintenanco. of the women \ and clnldroii.. : .Thof sum. of -£S Os. 6d. was : cdlectod.mjthe ,halj..>. j. ... '■ ■ 'THE PRESENT POSITION. 'ALTITUDE OF jWEST COAST UNIONISTS [BY TELEGBAPn.—SrECIAL COnRESPONDSM.]: 1 ' ' v • Groymouth, March 29., . ' As !'a; result of recent .developments, th< position m oonnection with . tho Blackball i striko may :bo. statod as followss-n , t " Tho Blackball miners demand half, an, ■■ J!'#iß\iri|s*cribj'|. The Government liavo oommenood pro- ;. , . ; ceedings against \tho Union to. recover ', :S ■:;; tho fino of £75, failing payment of which • : ( . ' tho miners :will bo proccedcd ngainßt in- I '' ■ dividually. i'■'. • (The Bruuner Miners' Union has om- : . • 7 phatically, refused tho request of tho. ■ Blackball..'Umoi\;'to!Btop fulfilling Black-, - ■ - ball., orders, .and by an eight to ono.". , I majority, decided that .thoy. would take -.. . no action m tho matter, and would romain, at work, being well contented with y , s tho conditions under .whichithey labour. ■, t>- '■ '.Tho . Westland 1,1 Tradesr- and . Labour . . , t Council refused to unconditionally• en- " dorso a'remit from tlw Stato'Mino Union , , asking for. tho removal of Judgo Sim - . !'•' froni Arbitration Court, .bnt instead : 5 -asked "Mr.viMillar; to obtain. an,, opinion ; > •' from tho whether, tho decision of tho Court in tho recent case, whoroin it was laid down that mon ■ could'bo dismissed at a mament's notice, ■ - was l correct."' If > so,: that .rtho. -Govorni. m'ent introduce'ameihding; legislation^: If, . : on- tho other hand, that'interpretation v. is moorrect, thnt Mr.-Jtidgo ( Sim bo ro- , i' hb\ed of hio position , u i I:''f : jJho-'Trades •&«., .• • ' Minister for Labouryti' introduce: hia . , 1 Councils Bill .next" session, . - ' and ."passed.'into, law, believing, this Will tend to prevent-a repetition of ■ ; the troute'noW:''boin| expoiionced' at , , Blackball. ■■ ~~~ '•,.', Tho Grey 'Wharf Labourers' Union ro- • ■ fused,-to ontortain a proposal ,to, stop.. ' loading Blackball-boats. ' . •- .y. abovoat will bo j seen : that, tho ~ Blackball nioii: aro "receiving, but small sup-. • port jfromithoj-W<Sst» Coast Unionists At 'Brunnor,- it may. bo stated that not a single. speaker favoured .-a stnkp. ,",If / Blackball. ,- has-mado: a foolish name," said ono mmorr>... ,■ "wo aro not going,<to do tho samo." MEETING OF BRUNNER UNION. ' * 1 1

NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN. I ' In'contradistinction to Bome other Unions,, ;: j •Biiiiincr Union agreed tb allow the presence of-jroportors-at their moeting 'yostordSy.The . ;j President • of: the Umon--presided \over_a meeting 'of about ono. hundred minors. Ho j explained that-many of -.tlio married .minors /, - . j had ;gone to i as, thoir usual .. wont. OnrSaturday,' being quite satisfied that... ■ tho minors would not tolerate a stnko.. Subsp*. , j quent ovents ! proved - this surmise l.to; be. cor-j - j rcct, tho voting on the motion, that no notion : .. ,i bo taken on tlio Blackball request being,Bo-. j-. - . to 12';"ori"*with- tho-presidcnt'and-secretary... -. ..i counted, m, $7, to, 12. AIL absentees were , dead against' a tsrike, but even or tho. .. minority not ono advocated .laying down tneii , tools In, fact, thoy, mado no secret of it i that noi be a party to such a | ■ reqviosbif/.'i ytr.oc .■ : ;'u"3 " 1 The'Ghtfkmrtny' in- opening. the •,.. . ■{ Baidtho meeting was called as .'tho* result C. , - \ th'o followiim letter from tho secretary of th - ] Blackball Union.— , 1 ■■■'' ■■!. Blackball, March 23. ? ; t ' 'G Newton, Esq GreyjVnlley j ' ■' Industrial UnionJ Brjinnorton, ; ; J ' Doar Sir,—At a goneral meotmg.of.my ; : Unions'held this yarning, I wasi m- 1 structed to 'inform you that wo consider ~ j ' tho aotion Of your "Union-jn loading tho.. , i., .Blackball Company's steamers is strongly. , ... ;{ : against tho principle wo are now striving | for. Wo consider,,a means to bring ; j j. our dispute to an ipud,;:it. ; would-be ad- . ■ ■ i usablo for the Union __ to discontinue ■ 'c'oaling .thoAsahtiiJ-as : ~. , must lose', combined tv 6 must mn. Trust- , ing this will 1 recen o the earnest considers j tion of your members, \ , i. >~<•, - »You» fraternally,, - ■.....] ' J ' L : , ROGERS, j Secretary. j * In ■ oponiug-tlic disoussion, tho -Chairmat, fc'aid IW lOtterliad been before-tho-commit- .. . ] tee,'who had unanimously : decided not to en- .- j tertain'tho proposal. (Hear. hear. Quito ■ right-). Tho committee" wore further or.the >,* opinion that they were doing quito right in not interfering'with..tho'working' of the col-lieries.'s-They nadrno. grievance of their own,'. ■ : .ij and should not bo-dragged into a dispute by. , : j Blackball. 1 The-Arbitration .Act had provi- . ! ;j sions to provent strikes. . Ho believed in that -. Act'.V'iih'd ' wotild "'fight for ".' its. retention till t something better was .'proposed.. (Apnlauso,). ...,■ . •) llio 'Act' was very 'stringent,' and all camo j under'it,' and. would-bo liable, in tho ovont j,, of a striko,. to, a fino of £10 v ,Tho committos had asked ' the manager if ho wero filling - orders- f6r-the Blackball',Company, and had- ■ received' a reply in thp ; negatlvo. They (tho :. . Tynosido- Company); wore only filling their v own Knowing ' this;; th'o committed considered',the .Blackball proposalhan ; unrea-. sonablo ono, and '"rejectcdi it unanimouslythair they Wore quite con- -,■! tented witlitheir 1 ■ Working conditions,- and had no desiro'to follow; iii 1 the foolish: action ,-. .) by,Blackball .y He moved »b- follows■:■■■■{; ■: ■ . "That the ' Miners' • Uiiioii' bo :. informed that this Union cannot enter-- - : | ' tain, such a.proposal, as it- is not. in ac- >. 5 - cordonoo -ffithf tho - Arbitration, Act. and ' ' 'this" Union 'does inot; favour cancellation. ■ , ,-.i ■ of its registration as-a . Uhion, ahdumtir . ; . 'j such cancellation wo >are bound to -abido • by thoiAct " . - , * applause.igreeted the reading of tho . j motion, 1 ,"wm6hV%-as"'vrehewedi when it was J seoonded by' Mr; Ward M'Mahon, who said ] jvorfijjitb before i

L'*< the - strike -as-after; and .he could not.see hoyr. k: : i .■ it would benefit thoi Blackball Union if they t v. ■ . came, out;.: 'They had thoir sympathy, but [■-, they, should .not be■ so. foolish as to strike. [v.vy. • (Acclamation.) ■ .. . f ' . Mr. Hcslin was very emphatic in his op-, ! position to a strike. • The best friends of t:,.- : the Blackball men recognised they had fv .".broken the law, which —good, bad, or mdif|f • ■ vferont—they ■ could not ily m; tho face of. i- : vThey-shoulil go-in for. improving the Act, I-. -.. net . to/dofv. it. 'i He' would not':gOT to f : trcnies, .and could not see. how they, could i -■ | legitimately-refuse to fill orders. It-did not [ . " matter. to them m • what - steamers tho coal [v.,_• • ■■■. v .vas carried away. - -v.. ■ ■■■■. " . -Mr. liefJin, .sen.; ;tben . read 'a . telegram from tho Managing .Director, stating that the Tvneside Company had simply chartered ' . the Blackball boats.- If. this had not.been. :done the Union Company would havo taken.i f-,;up. the charter. Tho Tyneside Company iV'- were'not fulfilling- the Blackball Company's ■ ' orders. ._... ■- ; . Mr. llaulo said that '1500- tons of coal • - had-been .put in the Blackball boats last week, and this should :be considered. -Tho. Blackball \men wero fighting for tho ( pniiciple of half an-hour's, crib time.; . j . Mr. Newton- said it was- no*, .use. going p.: -to extremes.' It was no.use cutting a man's [■ • head oft to get rid of a- squint in his eye. j.- -; He - thought half: an Jiour'S crib time roaeoni. j| able,-but Blackball had. no right-to precipi- : .tate:;a strike. '.'.He-regretted-.that.'tho Ar- /...■■■.■■ ,-bitration; and Conciliation Act was being £-. ■: , defied. -Tho-men should havo gono about it in a constitutional way, and.had theirjgnevv.. snces heard before the' proper tribunal.. , k .•&• Mr. >. M'Mahon. said ■ ho; was\ nqt i in- favour l l„ , ; .. of a . strike. .. No injury' was-being done to i; the Blackball men.by.their .filling:the boats. >,; •. .. Mr..- Ward said if Tynesido 4id not,Sll tho IV v. steamers . some of tho /other '.West • Coast 1 iv - miners, would. So .what would bo gamed by f.ceasing work? - The men/ had a legal way' i, ; .to get their troubles 'redressed, but ■ instead I: : wanted to got them into a fix, too. 110 r : viad no sympathy with Blackball.'..(Applause ) < -v. . . Mr. Cairns" said tho-principle, the. Blackball t. ■; inen, were, fighting for deserved their sym;<;pa thy. It. whs : a '.wrong -'.principle -to fill , the.Blackball boats. ,-Because tho Blackball ' men wero. down, some pcoplo wanted to keep ' thera there. ■■ . .. Mr. ardsaid that a .deal of misconception i.' existed.- - Tho. motion of . sympathy -by the. cßrunner Union applied to the seven i-. ... dismissed l men being - victimised. -...This had ,V.: Bmct) beou. renowed; and- the Blackball Union;' : - ". ibj tlieir.:own foolish action, had lost tho ' sympathy of all tho miners. (Chorus of ; Voices. "Quite right ") . -. Mr. : C'airns - said .tho. Blackball Union saw tthat they. would not get justico if the ArI bitration Court, was upheld. He. moved- asj nil amendment — / v /That 'respeptfully. agcmenfc -to .lefram. from -supplying orders ■ i, ;. to the Blackball Coal -Company, and that '• an early; reply, bo. requested. s. L Tho Chairman read tho penalties to which . - members would be liable for .causing a strike. - 3 . Ho explained that-if tao: amendment was - .. . carried; the,, Blackball .Company's steamers i v.would still be filled. t. v.: After, a deal o£^discussion," mostly to the . •. Cjfdct- .that, tho; Blackball-, request bo refused; ffr" -.tb'e'Ch'airnian pui'-' the 'amendment. ::/%;• : Mr. Ward lnterjectwl: ■ Are you m favour' { . of. ; no . work .at th<j dictation of 'Blackball ?■ The. amendment , concedes'that request. '■ ' Voices "No " • ;. '7 voting was w.i/ J \.. ■■■ ' I For tho motion v 87 For the amendment 12 j- \v Chairman declared tho Blackball je-' 1 quest;;rejep.tcd amidst;, much applause.',- 'X i : .- ! 3. tho wharf labourers-,had declined to t■. , accerle.-to tho- rtfqucsti to stop,loading Black-/ r' '■ \ball, Company'js steamers,- a-motion .was' carned tha|. a levy, of 5 per cent; of wages, be - -.v .struck -and paid-.to -the wives and children i: of the'Blackball,-miners. .the-meeting was hostile .to'jthe strike)' tbe''action !v - ..; of the Blackball men being, very adversely i criticised. \ - |

I' . 'A MOTION OF SYMPATHY. f! ■. *■' t~ of ' the ; ' Wellington: Brick(avers?, a Indu&trial Union of Workers the | . lolloping ,resolution; was' earned,: with--tilt i. ■■ request that it,be forwarded to the Press ,L ~ ■ ■ V'That tlusoiyaiiis'ation is miani-nous in; I ' its sympathy with the Blackball miners, .and .'that, we congratulate them on their "' f, . .admirable solidarity in protecting-. Ci ;. • their- fcllow-ivorkers, .who were' : tho' p'rimb'' i'-;.....movers of tho demand for half-hour crib j. time, and the right to e\erciso tho bal- • lot, and-.that- we*donato.£s to tliefund: ■' t / . i - ■ ministerial statements. s_ ' „ | the law expounded. The Mmister'ifor Laboui' (the"Hon. J. A Millai) states, regarding tho Blackball ;. r . ; trouole,, that tho,position at.tlio.present' time . the ' Government has made a demand ■ • , r , of- the fine imposed' by : the ! Court.-* Failing payment thereof, , the necessary legal action mil be taken." : - :J ho Government has no power to comiel thc V- ?1 en : to S° -tack, .to work,-V states : the'Min"nor the owners to open their mmc \to work There is no such law .in' this country, nor m any'other, so far as I know Where peoplo seem to bo making the misj... Jake., is ..in., thinking that a strike is a-con-tinuous offence. I have had the best' legal advice on this point, and I find 'that' -'tho r■: ?tnke, .when committed; is an offence "withi'li :- - The lajV' has been broken-immediately •i -.'t talses place. . There are others .again- who ( seem to think that 'action should be taken '. J®'" 8 * ■ the .Unions which ,have.: been : conf.vy tnb.lt.lng money ,to -tho "support ' of ".'the inters,.on the ground that they Raiding f ■"'- f !the.strikers; ;;inv this -they:'are f la , bo ". rin S : ' undar a . delusion. ; Aiding and [. .. abetting.an.offence cgnsist's-'inHh'e.'doing'of I: ;■ either ..prior'; to, "or, : concurrently ky J wJi:;the,committal• of the-offence,',and: not i >•' <•' The fo: t P, 01 PP let P itself when tlio j;.. ; strike.;has;• .taken-, placo,;. subsequent.'.' action ■, cnnnot aid. and abct .iii. tho committal of an i'' J{|onw..whiA^M.^lii^y' t .b ee n committed. " airthe' powers ' Pven.toit under'tho Act to see that"the . . Award. of'-the.Court is (mforced, and. is\giv- •' e , -™. tim^to'.consider' their -actions j. x - r -?. doing|anything:; So far'no effort lias f.: 0-•>;,59 n »Pb; : '■ with :Hhe.Vo'rdcr,•'•but b:: tho; Department is ;at/once' taking/the' P■ ■' sary • steps to enforce it.'' . , .v-. .v :■> .v v;t; HON. DR. FINDLAY'S OPINION ikto^xi- to "" ! 01lly sh^ b tho vieu- of the^Ministor for Labour on this matter,"' replied; Dr : ■ : p' nd ' a y. to , a;^ Go shortly- 'after," the', /strike'f tobk , place•,as. to, what' steps could be: taken to i. jS t } l ° se : aided and abetted a the , strike.There is. no doubt a' great -deal nf misconception; as .'to': the powers of- the Go?-' gi n inent. connection-.with',this: matter.'-'-It Jf f W'dpr Section 15-' : of-the Act " •'?• not ' a continuing offence., AVhatoyer., may be the popular c'on® I cqption, tho strike,is. complete, under' this j *oi t. Ihey can be punished ■ for "this' once r I and once, only, under Section 10. r . ■ ' ' " \ f i t t iei ?j the, offence is complete ori tho ' men leaving work no person can be punished for proposing, aiding, or. 1 abetting a strike" oi taking,part: in a. movement. intended to produce a ; stnke '. unless all these things preceded, the completion of,the offence, that is r: 00 !l efo re -the men actu--1... ajb work. Thus, it seems to mo quite Blear-that to encourage men struck . and have been punished -for ; their offence ■ r to continue idle or refrain from jetirniiS , their former employment, is not an' offliw' [ t^ ctlon ? 5 or suction in that [ There is moreover another and entirely ■ independent difßculty m dealing with some of those who aro advising, tho men :to con- ! tiniio thoir present attitude.'- Section' 15 I provides that any industrial union or indus[v - trial association or employer, or any worker j v whether a member of. any suoh • union or r , association or not, who aids or'abets a strike t: ; is'.guilty of an offence. .From, this it would j;., seem' that tho aiding and abejtting is only ■■■:. an: offence -if done by. a 'worker,' meaning, i v no doubt, a worker in .the trade or industry l ' in conncction with which the strike has [ ; occurred.- .Thus the section does not; apply, i- ~in my opinion, .to those ■ engaged in."'an. 'en-. [ different calling who aid •or abet a f/ strike in the-coal industry. ; ; • ' /"It is ckar from-what-has happened recently; •than* th» amended Act -of 1905 re- 'j

' quire!- revision. As it stands at present I do .not think .".that, proceedings could bo takon against, anyono for aiding and abet'ting a striko nnless ho be'a worker in the trade or industry in question, and then it could only bo - if', the ; aiding and abetting : precede .the completion, of tho offenco by the men leaving, work; All tho aiding and : abetting of which complaints are being made has-taken place, sine?'- the. strike occurred— 'indoed; none,of it-precddocl> tho strike. "For theso..reasons it seems to mo that no proceedings could bo taken against anyone for encouraging tho men to continue thoir present attitude. The Governmcnt'-has under tho circumstances been entirely 'limited' .''to ! proceedings against oithor. the

unions or tho men. Proceedings were takon against, the union,- because it had, nn this 'case, called'.a special, meeting and formally 'passed . a resolutions'which® was entered in •tho! minute-book, 'proposing a, strike. For this, the union-was fined £75, and 'failing payment by the . union tho mombers aro individually . liablo up to a limit of £10 each. To now proceed against tHo men independently would be to punish-.them twice over, for, -no doubt, in. fixing the fine tho Arbitra- 1 tion Court considered the- conduct of the menibors 'of .; the: union, v :and intended the punishment to-be-both colleetivo and individual.

"As Mr. Millar lms informed you, proceedings, are [being taken, against, the union .'to compel payment of the'fine by the processes; provided!, by .law. . "Under alkthe circumstances,!' Dr. Findlay concluded,, ." it cannot be said that 7 the "Government has in any way failed to * enforco'the:law as it.at- present stands."-