WILL THEY ESCAPE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 April 1914, Page 5

WILL THEY ESCAPE

ARBITRATION UNIONS WHICH STRUCK. HUNTLY MINERS OUTSIDE THE LAW. (By Telegraph —Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A deputation of employers in Wellington recently asked the Minister of Justice if certain Arbitration unions, which went on strike during the waterside trouble, would be prosecuted for their offence against the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The Minister undertook to bring the matter under the notice of the Hon. Mr Massey. Minister of Labor, and nothing has since been heard of it till yesterday, when it was found that one of the biggest unions which indulged in a. sympathy strike—that of the Hnntly coal miners—has been saved from prosecution b\' a statutory time limit. The Government, I understand, referred to its law officer some point connected with the question of prosecutions, but Cabinet meetings have been so infrequent during the last two months that the matter has apparently been overlooked or .voided/ So much the bettor for theHnntly miners, who ceased work on Octehei 20th. Under the Amending Act.of 1908 it is provided that no proceedings can bo taken for the recovery of any penalty under that Act save within six months after the cause of action has arisen. As the six months in which to take proceedings against’ the Hunlly Miners’ Union expired on Monday last, April 20th, and the Labor Department had not taken action before then, the right of the Department" to proceed has accordingly lapsed, and (he Hnntly miners have escaped the legal penalty.

WILL ALL ESCAPE’ In view of the fact that a large number of Arbitration unions struck in sympathy with the .Wellington watersiders. the question now arises ns to whether the Department, in view of its inaction in the H'intiy case, can consistent ty prosecute the remaining unions which transgressed the statute. The first of these unions struck on November 3rd and the last on November 24th, and the right to proceed against them will therefore lapse in six mmths from those dates. The Arbitration unions liable to prosecution are as fellows, the dates upon which they went out on strike and when the right to prosecute expires being also given ; Wellington Unions.—Wellington Cart, ers. struck November 11th, right to, .prosecute expires on* May 11th. Auckland Unions. —Auckland furniture workers, painters, boatbuilders, tallymen, laborers, hotel employees, carters, brewers, carpenters and joiners, bricklayers, and sawmill employees, struck Novembei Bth; right to prosecute expires May Bth. Christchurch Union.—Carters, struck November 24th; right to prosecute expi res Mav 24th. West Coast Unions.—Wharf laborers, Greymouth, struck November 3rd, right to prosecute expires May 3id. Brunnerton. coal miners, struck November sth; right to prosecute expires May 6th.