BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 194, 11 May 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

~ fr— . .. '' CONFERENCE ABORTIVE. ; THE TRUCKING QUESTION. V . STATEMENTS BYIHR. LEITCH AND MR, PRITCHARD. . - • -.-(BT-MMOBAPH;—SPEOIAIi CORRESPONDENT.) '''.' > _I, Christchurch, May 9.' v\Speaking to a. "Press" interviewer last • evening,•• Mr. Loitoh, manager of the BlackV ball-Coal Company, said the; crux of tho ,dispute; now was the demand of the .union . tliatthe truckers should work-tho samo number of hotirs; as tho miners, tho coal hewers. -Tho necessity for tho aerial tram working ten hours- was imperative,. because it , was .only by/.workins it ton hours that tho coal that was hett£>d could bo doalt with. Unless each - ddy'sioutput of coal was got over tho aerial it wohld ;moan that there would be ah accupiillation of coal at tho. mine./ Another reason, . for ,tho quick. dispatch . of. tho ooal overjithe : aerial line was to ensure that tho 1 loadirlgof the Company's colliers,should not - bo- unnecessarily 1 dolayed,- as sometimes the delay;of an hour or so moant that the col•lior3 would - bo stuok in port for two; br three ■ days for the sea on tho Greymouth :bar;tO 'go 1 down.j ■ The union was attempting to 1. Uphold tho prmciplo that all the undor- ' gfound' workers; which included tho truckers, should only work eight hours, but it would bee impossible to work the mine under such circumstances until:, .the; Ngahere-Blackball Railway was completed; Tho only satisfactory, method of "working tho mine , was that .which..obtained prior-to the strike, namely, that'ithe i truckers , work ton' hours. It Was understood that the truckers'\vbro will-iAgi-to> do this—they: got paid and :\a' ' for- tho two .extra hours—butthat' tne ntinors objected to; them doing so becaiiso ■ the -truckers,", who 'Wero .practically, unskilled labour,; wdre 1 thereby able to earn as much tho skilled worker.

V,. ! A DEADLOCK. ■ v.The'Conferonco was abortive, T. K'.-'Pritchard. ono of the delegates ■ of-tho ■Onionfvto. a'Timos"r reporter. ." The posi•.tion ,| 'is^simply r , this: Whereas previously wo thotighfc that the only question at issuo was ■ tho; half-hour's crib timo, and that the other demands,.: namely; tho reinstatement .of tho 11 mohj''no discrimination; and the substitution : of ;the minors to do the additional trucking for the truckers'had been agreed, to; now thov Company is prepared to conccdo the lialf-hour s-crib time, but-requcsts that;wo :»llow;the truokerS:to,do ten hours'- trucking.: . (Tho. -miners, .considered this trucking • quesr ' tionrsettled, as-the manager had . agreed to ■ ■ : the ■proposal for, tho minors to- do v ' the truckmg. ,- At to-day's conference • ■nothing' l was-advanced that the Union could : '"'-■ accept as ia - settlement ,or . a basis , for a set- ; >tlenient;:and, from ' th'e '.Union'g 'point . of . ,>■- view, vthe conference was'abortive, -.-j A dead- . ' lock exists.:' -The. conference■,]is. finished.' so .Afar are • concerned-. ; tWe: have; nothing >now,;or\tangiblo to placo beforo the Union.'! THE DIRECTORS' OFFER. , • " Creymouth, May 10. . In>connection- with■■the Arbitration rCourt ■ procfeedings against the 'Blackball -strikers, ■ it ' js -.Understood that the point • will -be raised ; '.that .'-tho' inspoctor;. having elected in the >•: -rfirst . instance to ■ prosecuto- tho Union, can .. rnofcenow', proceed against : individual' miners.. < Most°likoly ; a special'meotms of the Union • will be held to-niorrow to consider the offer . mide .by tho (directors,. who; liavo now con- 1 wded everything ■ originally demanded by toe USion.