DEADLOCK AT BLACKBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13699, 16 March 1908, Page 5

DEADLOCK AT BLACKBALL.

A SERIOUS POSITION.

TRADESMEN STOP CREDIT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

I G moT.'T , Sunday. There is a complete deadlock at Blackball over the strike. Everything was in readiness for work yesterday, and the mine officials were in attendance, but no miners turned up,'and the mine was closed. The men are determined to stand firm and fight the position. A meeting was held, and it was decided to solicit support, Mr. Fritchard being appointed to canva'ss Christchurch, Dunedin, and the rest of the South Island, while Mr. Hickey will appeal to Wellington, Westport, and Nelson. Efforts are being made to get the Tyneside and the State colliery miners to come out, but at meetings held yesterday the proposals were not favourably received. It is freely rumoured that the Blackball Coal Company intend to close the mine down until the railway from Ngahere to Blackball is completed, and in the meantime to go on erecting new lines. The manager has notified the miners that all the agreements and concessions agreed to by him are off. The miners claim that the decision of the Arbitration Court is too severe. Last evening everything was quiet, and no public speeches were delivered. The whole affair is looked upon as very serious by the business people of Greymouth, and the Blackball tradesmen have stopped all credit, refusing goods unless the money is paid down.