THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 248, 13 July 1908, Page 7

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

APPEAL AGAINST THE FINE. The Court of Appeal will hear argument to-day with respect to tho appeal of the Blackball Miners' Union of Workers against the fine of £75 imposed on its members by the Arbitration Court as a penalty for tho offence of proposing a strike. Mr. H. D. Bell, K.O. (with him Mr. D. M. Findlay),' will appear on behalf of the Crown, and Mr. C. P. Skerrott, K.C. (with 'him.Mr. A. R. Guinnoss), for tho mombors of tho Workers' Union. Tho motions, which have been removed into the Court for consideration, aro, briefly, as follow.:'—, (a)'' That the application of the Inspector of Awards at Groymoiith for an order under sub-section (g) of Section 101 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act to enpayment against tho members of tho Wooers' Union of tho amount of tho fine bof, tomoved into tho Court of Appall for hoaring, and that an order made thereon in May 12, 1908, and a distress warrant issued out of tho Magistrate's Court at Greymouth against tho members of the Workers' Union, at tho request of tho Inspector of Awards in pursuanco of tho order dated May. 12, 1908, be quashed. (b) For a rule nisi directing tho members of tho Court of Arbitration, tho Inspector of Awards at Greymouth, -the • Clerk, of Awards at Hokitika, and tho Magistrate at Greymouth, to show cause why tho abovementioned application of tho ' Inspector of Awards at Groymout-h should not be removed, into the Court of Appeal. And also why tho order dated May 12, 1908, and why a cortificatc of _ tho Clerk of Awards issued thereon, and'why tho above-mentioned distress ,warrant .should not bo removed into the Court of Appeal or in tho oltornativo to sliow cause why a writ of certiorari should not bo issued out of tho Court for tho removal of -tlio documents in quostion and other proceedings into tho Court, in' order that tho samo may bo reviewed, set aside, and quashed, or in tho alternative that a writ do issue out of tho Court prohibiting tho Magistrate and officials of tho Magistrate's Court at Groymouth from onforcing tho distress warrants, or further proceeding with'tho same. Tho . main grounds . of tho appeal are as follow: — ' (1) That tho Court of Arbitration had no jurisdiction to order tho individual members of tho Union to pay tho fine inflicted upon tho Union, and (2) That tho Clerk of Awards had no powor to give tho certificate referred to.