THE WORKERS DETERMINED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13708, 26 March 1908, Page 5

THE WORKERS DETERMINED.

READY TO GO TO GAOL. [BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] '' Dunf.di.v_, Wednesday. Mr. D. K. Pritehard, one of the delegates of the Blackball Union, who is engaged in delivering public addresses, reached here this evening. Interviewed by a Times reporter to-night. Mr. Pritchard.said: "In the first place, the union will certainly continue unanimous in sticking out for what they have demanded. The members are determined that they will not go back to work until they have been conceded half an hour's time for crib. Then they have refused to pay the fine imposed upon them by the Arbitration Court, and I am quite safe in saying that they will go to prison sooner than pay it. There is not one dissentient and not the slightest, sign of. wavering on the part of the men. About 140 workers are affected by the strike. I do not think the, strike will spread along the coast, and, personally, I am opposed to anything occurring in that direction. The union in the matter of finance stands fairly well, and could easily have paid the fines if it had so desired. The subscriptions received to date have reached just on £200, and that money will be devoted to the wives and children of the miners. "The Blackball Coal Comoaiiy has, of course ottered to pay half the fine, but the men now declined to accept, the offer, and will not consider it. In regard to the question of the ventilation of the mine, if that was to be opened up, the general public would not credit what could bo told them, but 1 absolutely refrain myself from criticising the company for past actions in this connection. I am simply here as a delegate of the union, to make known the causes of the strike and its nature, and to tell the troth concerning the whole affair. I consider that the whole business has been the subject of gross misrepresentations and erroneous statements by the entire press of the Dominion." Questioned as to the Arbitration Act and its working, Mr. Pritchard said he did not think that, a preponderance of the unionists were antagonistic to the Arbitration Act, but it was antagonistic to the present system of administration of that Act. There were certainly a large number of men who were: entirely opposed to the Arbitration Act, but they did not by any means represent the majority. It was a complete source of gratification to him to know that the unionists had taken steps to request the removal of Judge Sim from the Arbitration Court. "1 consider," said Mr. Pritchard, " that some of his remarks in the summing up of our case in Greymouth are a menace and a daaiger to the trades unions of New Zealand and so is the Arbitration Act as at present being administered. 1 consider that there are some extraordinary anomalies existing at lie present tune in the present labour laws of New Zealand. As a trades unionist, 1 am entirely in sympathy with the Arbitration Act, and I do .not think there is any danger of its Jbejuig, wiped off the :Sta.frflte'ffippk A

through this trouble. A majority of workers throughout, the Dominion are in favour of maintaining it." In concluding, Mr. Pritchard had something reassuring to say. He stated that he was possessed of information which he was not in a position to divulge, hut which would not cause him to be surprised were he to receive word at any time now that the Blackball trouble had been settled, and the strike was at an end. Mr. Pritchard is simply a member of the Blackball L'oalmiliers' Union, not even of its executive, and pays his own expenses. CONDITIONS AT BLACKBALL. THE POSITION UNCHANGED. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Uheymouth, Wednesday. There are no new developments in connection with the strike matters at Blackball. The statement that negotiations are proceeding for a settlement seems to have no foundation as far as the local management is concerned. The manager, oil being; interviewed, stated that ho had had no conference with the union for weeks, and could only account for the statement that had been made by surmising that the directors in Christchurch might be moving in that direction. There has been no further meeting of the union, and matters remain unchanged. CHRfSTCHURCH ASSISTANCE. [by TEtBOEATH. —PRESS association.] Christchurch, Wednesday. The Christchurch General Labourers' Union last night voted a £10 donation and £1 a week as long as the strike lasts to the wives and children of the Blackball miners.