THE BLACKBALL STRIKE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue LIII, 15 April 1908, Page 5

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE

THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS. LPRfctß ASSOCIATION. I CHRISTCHUECH, April 15. Mr D. K. Pritchard had an interview to-day with Mr George G. Stead, which lasted over an hour, and dis- ' cussed the position of matters at Blackhall. As Mr Pritchard was not officially authorised to commit the union to any arrangement, the conversation ! was merely general. AUCKLAND, April 15. Referring to the recent development of- the Blackball miners' dispute, in ' which the men have gone out on strike, • the Minister for Mines (the Hon. Mr McGowan) this morning informed a Press representative that the law must '' be carried out. "The men may adopt . a certain stand and believe they tare ' within their rights," Mr McGowan 1 said, "but the fine must be paid. Of ! that there is no possible question of a ' doubt. " It is at present impossible to. * say what developments of the future / will be, but the law must be paramount and must be carried out. No Government can passively stand by, and see the law defied. The public are apt to be hasty and clamor for an immediate settlement of a rather complex situation. This is not a matter, however, which can be rushed through. It may be taken for granted that the Government will do what is right in the Blackball case, and the first thing is to collect this money. . What is more, there is no doubt that the Government will do it/ Worn-out billiard balls are usually cut <m into dice. . ',« ' .- . r

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