BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 176, 20 April 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

CHAUEHfiE BY TBE'KINE MANAGER. MESSRS. HICKEY AND PRITCHARD CALLED UPON. BY TELEGJIAP3I—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. " ; Crcyniouth, April 18. Hie mine manager at Blackball, Mr. Leitcli, :/• to-day .V issued; 'the following 7. challenge:-— "Sir,—l : havo 7 waited ' patiently until Messrs^'Hicljey ..and 'Pritoh'ard returned from . ■ . tHeWs.Vtour\:rouna''"'.thp' Dominion, '. : 'and' how that'thoy ;have rcturhedy ior-jare about to return, I issuo tile following challenge:— . '"That tho Minister/for Mines be' asked to'appoint ; two men, one .to bo, a first-class . mining nianagor, to be a qualified, miner having a •thorough;, knowledge of the v. met with, in coal mines, to inspect;tho Blackball mmo,- and if they find carlon ■dioxide (black damp), carbon monoxide (ivlnto ' damp), >•; or sulphurated, hydrogen' (these are, all 'tho gases commonly found 111 mines) in any bored lovel-or hoarding >1:1 which -miners worked : on the last day: tho. mine worked, I. guarantee -to;pay .tli'e-expenses, of ith&so. two men, and' also, to pay £20 to tho Grey. Rii-er Hos"Vpital; but if noneof : the above gases;can be • foiind'in. tho aforesaid places, the expenses of the two exports ahd tho £'10 to the Hospital • shall" bo paid by Messrs. Hickey- and Pritchard. .7, Hickey .and ■ Pritchard may go * into, the mino along with , tho two. : oxperts and and may -poiht out tho workms places where they say, tho gases are to bo found. • ./••• " My-reason . for; issuing the abovo challeiigeMsl thatVuiitrnthful; regarding . the. ventilation . ofthe Blackball - lame havo been :,ruade. bv Messrs; ■••Hickoy- and Pritchard,'two of which I will quote in the /words of-the 'speakers:.; The . following state-ment-was made by >Mr ..''Pritchard: 'Why, 1 then,; had .he allowed meii to work for years " amidst -danger■.amoni; gelatine'- smoko' and' !. black-damp ii.rid gas dairip'ahd othfer damps?' Mr.'Pritchard. is repbrted''to have made this' .statement publicly in ' Christchurch. -The following statement was 'made in a special '. article •' to " ' Tho. Worker;'written-, by."Mr.' ■Hickoy. to a miner There is nothing So:important 1 as , fresh, air Jil- sufficient : qiiaiitities < to carry off the: fumes of oxplosives, black dfimp, and other noxious gases, and in'no ■■/.. mine on (the West Coast were there more gases than in tho case of the Blackball mire.' > , ■■■■ v . . i'-'I- misKt.t-stale' - that" no .work has been donn' in the' mino since Messrs. Tennent and Hall inspected it, and .therefore-.the workplacos are in tho same condition as when left' by the miners, .and I, will cleave it ,to Messrs: Tennent and JHall whether " I havo. 1 ■;' altered the conditions or not. : Therefore, I would :■ urge '-upon:-' Messrs: .Hickey - and Fritchard to accept this challenge, .and have ■'■ this'.matter,' cleared -up. > . I will not correspond withi anyono : on. this-poinfc; .but- \vill ■leave this challenge open fortthrebdays from ■■' the dato of tho publication •of the saidchallenge,-; and if at the: oxpiration of that time it ,-is vnot: accepted -by'• Messrs. Hickey and . '• Pritchard. : the public of ■ New Zealand will then-see that the statements made by Messrs. Hickey and*Pritchard are-false.' In ; conclusion, I-might state,that I could not allow. ■' -the'above IstitementS 'by .unchallenged, as they -are/ruinous .to.'mj* reputation, ; and this-lin/tho.: words>-of Shakespeare.,.(,'. who steals-mv purso .. . but he that /filches from: mo' ,mv . good namo robs mo'of that.which not enriches.him and makes me poor l indeed') is the greatest treasure in : 7 dny person's'possession." . :'•■ ;■• , BRUMNER UNION LEVY CONTINUED. MR. PRITCHAItD'S "TERMS REFUSED.i 6Y TELEBRAPH—SrfecIAL : COERESrONDENT. , ' Ci'ovmoutfi, /Vnril 19. ■ vrThe Brunner Miners' .Union on Friday.roreinded, the. motion • stopping assistance...to. tho strikers, and dec.ided,to make a:levy of 5 per' cent, on :wagos,-such amount: to ,be ■ devoted . to'tho Avives iand' 'children ;of the: . strikers; -■ The meeting !.was a.vvcry.-rowdy one, and at 0110 timo.. disorder - reigned supreme.'i-In fact, 'at- one,.period', it looked - as though it .would bo impossible to proceed . with I business^. lt was evident on' .allyside's" . that-, the Union- had. no sympathy-for tho strikers, but tho levy was;made in order to , keep the wolf away from doors of deserving wives and children of tho strikers.,, On Friday, Mr. Pritchard offored tho - on' which Mho ' , 'neriVwquld ':go-'J back, to wb'rk. Thes'ef were •refused. * ' SOCIALIST VIEWS. RESOLUTION riv A WELLINGTON MEETING. 1 ~Tho;;Bkckb'all .striito; came ; in _. for. some notice; 1 at ~Mr;Tpm / Maiin's. meeting'. in' tlie ■ Opera Houso last night.. Tho Chairman (Mr. Robert Hogg)' said. that,;iiirthe. struggle, at Blackball the Socialists had woiij ,because tho mining company had . dccided ;to tako back their; comrades into its emplpyl ■ : The strugglo was now one for trades: unionists, but tho Sbcialists.'v werq -, supporting - the additional claims: that were ;beiiig mado by 'their fellows., '. Tho Governmbnt's\decisioii iiot; to, give, work to the;;.st'riker3 was the tnost; dastardly thing' . that could have been done 111 any country/ . -It;.w;as,nice, to think that the-preseiit'Min- ; ister .for Labour :man who.had ;said that if :tho workers-/rallied ;round.him, ho wpuld;!l»;truq toythem,. the.'nian wli6,.thrpe , years ago' had given tho Labour party, .in Dunerlin a conditional proihisb to sign ah infddpeiid«ii't; platfonn.;; Ho 'hoped . tho. workers: • tho' /-.Millars, and.tho othor caterpillars-rrr- :.(Hero ,: the;*spMker;stamped his foofc,.hiiiidst laughtbr . and applause.). . . v'- ' . The following -rejiohition, which had been euggested.'by. tho-Chairman, was then moved • by Mr. Egaii, seconded bv .'.Mr..- Bailey,;, and carried . by' acclamation :—'' That; this .'meet- 5 ■ ing.\of;.,Wellingtoii citizens'; calls upon; .the Governor, as ropresehting tho Crown, to reeumo :tha lands of-Blackball, presently held on, sufferanco,: and/ work tho minerals there under the conditions prevailing at Seddonville and other •