MILLERTON NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 18 January 1922, Page 8

MILLERTON NOTES.

(Our Own Correspondent). After a few weeks’ holiday I start another year with notes from Millerton. Since before the holidays a good many have departed from this place, and quite a few new hands have started. We started the year with a week’s strike caused by the management refusing to employ the whole of the colliers in the old dip section of the mine. After a week’s sojourn, we returned to work, a settlement being arrived at which was satisfactory to each side. If the history of some of these small strikes are ever written, it will expose some great want of tact on the part of some of the management. Of course the poor Henry always receives the blame, and generally gets it in the neck. Nevertheless he is prepared always to stem the tide of too much officialdom. The Millerton Miners’ Union held their annual meeting on Sunday last. I The annual balance-sheet was read, showing a fairly good credit balance. The election of officers resulted in the following being elected unopposed:— President, Ben Davidson, vice-presi-dent W. Clarke, secretary 11.. Wil- ■ Hams, and treasurer E. Morris. A good deal of general business was transacted. It was also agreed to take up a subscription throughout the mine to assist the Russian famine fund. Since the holidays we have had the pleasure of hearing the Canadian orator, Mr J. McDonald. Tie is a very fine speaker and gave a fine description of the class struggle from prehistoric ages up to the present. Speakers of Mr McDonald’s type are needed on this coast, and every encouragement should be given to different speakers arriving in New Zealand to bring them down the Coast. The Millerton Tennis Club have made great strides this year and are playing some good games. The club’s idea is to have another court put down for next season. The public should give the sports all encouragement to accomplish this end. I see a letter in the Westport morning paper complaining of the imported footballers getting financed from the funds collected. If they are anything like the type of footballers who came to Granity last year and departed when the strike came on, they are not the class of sport that we generally find among footballers. The secretary of the Millerton Miners’ Union has reason to class these imported footballers as a poor class of unionist. They were recommended by some of our leading sports as good fellows, but we hope that in the future the footballers who come here will be sports not only on the football field but on the industrial field also. Six of our local lads arc leaving in a fortnight’s time for a trip to the Old Country. They expect to be away about eight month,. We wish them a i good trip and a safe return.