THE LATEST. NO AGREEMENT YET.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 52, 2 March 1908, Page 8

THE LATEST. NO AGREEMENT YET.

GBEYMOUH, This Day. Up to noon no agreement had been reached at Blackball. WHAT LED TO THE TROUBLE. MINE MANAGER'S STATEMENT. The mine manager, Mr. W. Leitch, in the course of a statement as to what led to the trouble, said that owing to increased orders and the limited carrying capacity of the aerial tram line, it was deemed necessary to work the aerial line ten hours to meet the demand, a custom which has been in vogue since the double shift was abolished. This, of course, meant that jig men and truckers had to work ten hours per day, and they were paid time and a quarter for the extra two hours. The majority of the men seemed to be only too pleased to have the opportunity of earning overtime. Following this was a notice from the union drawing the management's attention to Rule 240, regarding the union's rules, which was to the effect that no member of the union would be allowed to work more than eight hours per day or they would bo liable to a fine of 10s for each occasion. "In reply to the union's letter it was stated," said Mr. Leitch, "that if we complied with their notice it would be necessary for the miners to do trucking, and this reply was handed to the secretary of the union. However, after further consideration, the mine manager and myself came to the conclusion that it would be better to revert to the eighthour shift and thus avoid all difficulty, as at present the company have a case before the court to test the question -of whether the manager can v order a man to do what he is wanted to do or otherwise. This, of course, meant that there would have to be a reduction in hands, as, although there were not enough men employed for a ten hours' shift, there were too many for the eight, so that some had to go, and he decided to dispense with the services of the new arrivals and keep the old hands, as he knew them." Having notified the men not required that their services were dispensed with, the next development occurred the same evening, when a deputation waited on him and asked him if he would reinstate the men who had been dismissed. The deputation asked no other question. The manager replied that, as the pit was only going to work eight hours a day in future, he did not require their services, and therefore could not reinstate them. At a later hour the same evening the deputation returned and stated that the men had decided not to return to work unless the men dismissed were reinstated. He replied : — "What, you don't mean to say that they are going to strike?" and the deputation stated that that was the union's decision. He then replied, "Oh, well, let it be so," and immediately communicated with the mining manager at Ngahere. The latter also communicated at once by urgent telegram with the secretary of the company at Christchurch, informing him of the position. Mr. Leitch forwarded the following letter to the Miners' Union :— "ln case the deputation which interviewed the Mine Manager last evening neglected reporting clearly to the meeting the reason given by the Mine Manager for dismissing the seven miners discharged yesterday, I take this opportunity of stating the aforesaid reasons, so that you may have it in writing. The reasons are as follows:— The union having notified me that they would not allow any member of their union to work more than eight hours, forced on my company the following alternative, viz., either to work eight hours per day or else to work the mine ten hours and get the miners to truck for the firm two hours of the ten. I notified you/ that I intended to get the miners to truck, but on further consideration I thought this might lead to endless trouble. I therofore decided to take tho other alternative, viz., to work eight hours only ; but having too many men for eight hours per day it became necessary to discharge those I did not require. This I proceeded to do, ;with the result that you have struck. — Yours faithfully (Signed) JAMES LEITCH, Mining Manager." 140 MEN IDLE. By the strike, 140 men have at one* been thrown out of work at the mine. Eighty-two of this number work under, ground. In addition to the men employed at the mine, the crews of the company's steamers Petone aud Pareora will be thrown out of work if a settlement is not come to at the conference to-day. The Petone is commanded by Captain Christian and the Pareora by Captain Black. Each vessel has a crew of seventeen all told: LAW MUST BE CARRIED OUT. When replying to a toast at a meeting of the Institute of Marine Engineers to-day, the Hon. J. A. Millar briefly referred to the present trouble. As far as it lay within his power he was determined fairly, and without favour, to carry out the existing laws of the country. If those laws were wrong they should be amended, but so long as they were on tho statute-book they should bo carried out. LAND ROUND THE MINE. APPLICATION TO~HON. R. M'NAB. The Hon. R. M'Nab, Minister of Lands, who has jnst roturned from a visit to tho West Coast, states that when he was at Greymouth ho was waited upon by residents with a request that the Government should acquire land in the neighbourhood of the mine, so that the workers and other residents there might secure sections on which to build for themselves. The freehold is owned by the Blackball Coal Company, and therefore everyone living closo to the mine is a tenant of the company. The Minister said he could riot comply with the request as tho owners could always retain a thousand acres, and in this enso if tho company did so they would keep the land the deputation wished the Government to take.

Teachers and students are reminded by advertisom'ent jn another column that entries for" the June Theoretical Examination of Trinity College of Music, London, will clone at Begg's oft Wednesday