" CRIB TIME."

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 528, 23 March 1908, Page 2

" CRIB TIME."

THE CAUSE OF THE BLACKBALL TROUBLE. AN EXPLANATION. Mr D. K. Pritchard, representative of .the Blackball Miners' Union, addressed a meeting of the Ghristchurch Socialists' party and others interesced, said it was evident that a great deal of misconception existed as to what "crib time" really was". It was only tho trim© the men had to'take a meal between their early breakfast and evening dinner. By the time the message announcing crib time had reached them, perhaps a mile from the pit mouth, aaid they had made preparations, some portion of the interval had elapsed, and before they had time to swallow a few mouthfuls, the trucks were running again. Mr Britohard a.lso dealt with complaints as to ventilation in the Blackball mime, and said complaint, had been made six weeks before the strike, and a,n :n---spootor investigated it <at a time when no miner could guide him. He had gone down with the manager, and on coming up said that the men were too well off and did not know it.