COAL MINERS' DEMANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13816, 31 July 1908, Page 5

COAL MINERS' DEMANDS.

BLACKBALL DISPUTE. WRIT OF CERTIORARI DISMISSED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. In the Appeal Court to-day Sir Robert Stout (Chief Justice), in delivering judgment in. the Blackball .case, stated that he could not understand how it could be said that the Arbitration Court had no*. jurisdiction to enforce payment of a fine under section 15 of the Amendment Act, 1905, just in the same manner as a fine for a breach of an award. What had been done by the Court was within the very words of section 15, and the Arbitration Court in making the order was acting within its jurisdiction. His Honor held that it was unnecessary to consider the effect of section 9f< of the Act of 1905, which took away Ihe power of the Supreme Court to control the Arbitration Court, but in His Honor's opinion that section took away the power of the Supreme Court absolutely He was, therefore, of opinion that the motion for a writ of certiorari should be dismissed, and that the Blackball Miners' Industrial Union of Workers must pay the costs of the proceedings. Their Honors Justices Williams, Denniston, Cooper, and Chapman, in separate judgments, concurred in the result of the judgment of the Chief Justice. Mr. Justice Edwards, in a separate judgment, dissented from the view of the majority of the Court, holding that the Arbitration Court had exceeded its jurisdiction, and that section 96 of the Act of 1905 did not fake away the power of the Supreme Court to control the Arbitration Court if it exceeded the jurisdiction given it by the Act of 1905. The motion was dismissed with costs on the lowest scale and as from a distance against the Blackball Miners' Industrial Union of Workers. CONFERENCE AT MILTON. [BY TELEGR.V'.K— press association.] Dunedin, Thursday. A conference between the employees and the officials of the Bruce Coal Mining. Company was neld at Milton to-day. The principal question in dispute is the rates of pay. While the employees a;<k for an increase of 3d on the present rate {2s 9d), the owners demand a decrease of 3d. Neither side would give way, and it was decided to leave the claims relating the piece rates, weighing, and trucking in abeyance. A number of other points relating to conditions of labour were agreed to.