PUSHED OUT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6861, 3 July 1909, Page 13

PUSHED OUT

A DUNEDIN INCIDENT., DtTNEDIN, July 2. What the popular • novelists- would call "a crisis" appears to have happened at a meeting of the Coal Merchants' Association on "Wednesday night. One of the members, Mr J. J. Purdio, State coal-carting contractor, went to the meeting, and, it is allegad, was pushed out. Another member says that a certain official caught Mr Purdio by the- arm, and forcibly ejected him—"ran him out." It appears (says the "Star")' that State coal is the cause of all the trouble. "As a matter of fact," says a member of the association, "there is practically a boycott of State coal. It is taking oil, and wo don't like it. That's about the truth of the matter." Owing to Mr Purdie being State coal-carting contractor, he has.to pay 2s a ton «xtra for all local coals. This, it is alleged, is the outcome of some agreement or understanding between the Coalminers' Association and the Coal Merchants' Association. According to the "Star's", informant, some five or six members at the meet--ing entered a protest against the action taken with, regard to the contractor. It seems that they went to the meeting to inquire the reason for his being notified by circular that he was no longer a member. This astonished him, so he wont, and had his' astonishment increased. A peculiar, feature of the affair is said to lie in the fact that some time after he wast escorted, pushed, or run, out, the association carried a motion to tho effect) that Mr Purdie's name bo removed from the list of members. That fact is held to be proof that he was a member when he was refused admittance. There is a probability that a Courtl case will follow. To the public there is one very interesting thing about the meeting—the price of coals is stiT' the same!.