BLACKBALL NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 9 July 1927, Page 6

BLACKBALL NOTES.

(Our Own Correspondent.) The Blackball League Football followers have everything in readiness for their Denniston visitors this week-end; and if the weather is on its best behaviour a splendid game should result, as both teams are adherents of the open game. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the banquet which is to be given in honour of the visitors and it can be safely said that previous banquets will be left in the shade. Further evidence of the coal boom passing has been three more idle shifts at the Blackball mine this week. It is reported that the so-called co-operative coal companies are cutting prices pretty keenly. The miners’ organisations will have to watch that this is not made an excuse for an attack on wages or conditions. The Coal Mine-owners’ Association and the West Coast Miners’ representatives have been in conference in Christchurch deliberating over delegations of job control. How the mere suggestion of job control worries the employing class. A weary out of work, wage-slave who unsuccessfully applied for a job in this j district stated that he was one of 70 swaggers on the road from Christchurch. It would be a good idea to give those glib-mouthed gentry, who always state that an out-of-work worker does not want work, a taste of sleeping out o nan empty stomach. I venture to say that the tune would soon be changed. The Blackball Soccer fans who visited Christchurch expressed themselves on return as being satisfied with the game and the trip. Blackball and Rcwanui meet this week end to decide the destination of the Westland Soccer Association’s competition cup. Rewanui will surprise the locals if they reverse the former result. The junior League game this weekend between those keen local rivals. Nelson Creek and Blackball will surely draw a good crowd to Nelson Creek . The N.Z. Alliance “Van” has been visiting Blackball, doing propaganda work. Considering their environment, miners are a very industrious and sober section of the community, and compared very favourably with other sections. In fact, it would not be an exxargention to say that a lot of those people who live off the backs of the toilers spend more per week in booze than the average mine-worker earns during the same period. Whisperings are already in circulation as to what is going to happen when the present agreement expires in March next; about the only thing that will happen, if the workers are solid and determined, is that the miners will secure a somewhat better agreement than the present one. I see the. poor old Communists have been getting it again. A gentleman in Christchurch, Dunkley by name, who got fined a fiver for being cheeky was told by the magistrate that he was “thankless and thriftless.” He has been dubbed by capitalist and Labour, press alike as a ‘Communist.’ This scribe believes Dunkley to be a member of the Labour Party, even if Dunkley does not like work, he certainly hasn’t got it on his own The best-fed people are certainly not the workers. Now boys, when you order a load of coal, do not be cheeky. It doesn’t matter if you dig it for three or four bob a ton; just touch your hat and be very respectful and see that you don’t order out of rotation. Nobody wants to see a stop-work meeting held over so unimportant a matter as being disrespectful to a tally clerk. It is quite on the cards that men will be cavilled out at Ron shortly. More slaves for the swag and soup kitchen! Produce more and eat less, is the remedy for unemployment says our capitalist masters. I think the workers’ slogan will soon have to be “ Eat more and produce less!” The friends of the Nuttall family, of Blackball, have learned with regret of the death of Mr Andy Nuttall, formerly of Blackball, which took place at Palmerston North. The deceased, who formerly worked in the Blackball Mine, left a few* years ago for the Manawatu district. His brother-in-law, Mr John McKinnon, of Blackball, proceeded to Palmerston North in order to be present at the funeral