BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 195, 12 May 1908, Page 7

BLACKBALL STRIKE.

I , • THE FjINE. PROCEEDINGS IN THE ARBITRATION , • COURT. 1 ' . .(FY TEHEariXPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, May 11. At-the 'Arbitration Court to-day,' before Mr. Justicc-Sim and Messrs. S. Brown and J.. A. M'Ciillough, tho Hon. J. A. Tole, K.C., Crown Solicitor,, moved:for an order to enforce against memfcars of.tho Blackball Union the fine against' tho Union itself, on March 12 l?.st,: or'for such order as tho Court, might think ■ fit, .upon -the-, -grounds'; that tho- Court had fined the Union £75; that pursuant to the Industrial Conciliation, ,and Arbitration .Act, 1905,..a certificate- of tho fine had been l lodged in tho Magistrate!? Court, Greymouth • .that on ' April ■22 tho Magistrate at Greymouth Jiad granted a war--rant 'of distress to. levy the : £75 and costs' of. execution; that on April 23' the bailiff returned the warrant of . distress noting that ho could'-not. find sufficient goods and chattels whereon :to levy; the. fine; that the sum of •-275; was still'duo" arid payabloj'that.tho pro- ; perty of tho Union was, insufficient, to' Satisfy tho judgment of >£75;. and that the members of the Union wore liable for tho deficiency.' ; In support of the application Mr. .Tole put ill affidavits (-1) by. tho Inspector of Awards that tho, fine was made and the certificate filed in the Magistrate's Court, and tlie warrant of distress'issued and returned" nulla bona; (2) from the clerk of the Court proving .the issuo of the distress warrant and the, returS of "noy effects!'; (3) from Const'ablo 'Egaii of the service of. not:co on 'members of tho'< Union and fixing a, notice on the office of the Union; (4) 'from Mr, ,T. W. Hannan, solicitor, acting,for the Crown at Greymouth that ho had caused to be served and sent by registered letters'notices of "motion" on mombiirs of tho Union; 'and (5) from the manager of tho, Blackball Company setting forth tho list of members working in the mine as supplied by the Union'secretary. : said that, ho had communicated .with Groymouth after the caso was adjourned, last week, and .'ashed' that the Union -be notified of tho'hearing to-day." Ho had re-' ceivod a reply that the strikers wore quite awaTO of the, adjournment and the hearing to-day. --.He also -stated that' no documents or affidavits had been filed in the Arbitration Court in answer to, or in opposition of, the application ho was then making. Tho order lie asked the Coilrt to mako was that, individual members 'should bo ordered to pay the amount of the fino,,provided that no, member was liable to pay more than £10:.that the said members, within one week of the making.-of tho order, bo notified of. the cfFect of it, either through the secretary of tho - Union, of AVorkcrs, or by advertisement published in Greymouth; and that in default or .within' so many, daj's .'of that notification a certificate of tho order bo forwarded to the Magistrate at Greymouth, to tho end that such proceedings might bo .taken according to'law. . • Tho Blackball Union wore not represented. 'His Honour intimated that the Court woidd consider tho matter, and advise Mr. Tole.

"EARLY SETTLEMENT LIKELY, (ttY TI-'T.EGItAI'II.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Croymouth, May 11. It is understood that an oarly sottlement of the Blackball trouble is likely. To got over - tho dispute about the ten hours, tho Company will work two eight-hour shifts, there being enough orders in sight to warrunt this' courso '.bring pursued.