THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11248, 11 April 1908, Page 3

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

(Per Press Association.) I THAMES, this day. Members f>f the Thames Miners' Union met last night to discuss the position of the Blackball strikers, andi to decide whether assistance should he given. The meeting was not open to the press, but it is understood it lias been decided to recommend the executive to grant assistance. WELLINGTON, this day. The Wellington Trades and Labor Council has invited all local unions to send financial assistance to the Blackball miners. The invitation, it is stated, is being responded to by almost every union, some sending lump sums of £5 weekly so far, but one union has written refusing to subscribe. GREYMOUTH; tliis day. There is a good deal of discontent among strikers at Blackball owing to the faciithai the ■.executive have kept back a wire ' from. Mr Tregear offering tjrms of: settlement. One of the strikers, writing to the. Grey ..Argus, exposes the whole matter, which the, secretary of the Union denies. • The ' executive have ' ; re- . ceived a warm time from tlie. local press and public and it is stated that -'they' liave decided to resign. A meeting will be held to-day to receive their resignations. A . requisition was presented to the • secretary . of the Wharf Laborers' Union to-day, duly signed, asking that an extraordinary meetiru be called to consider the question of continuing support to the strikers. The. meeting is to be held Sunday morning, when, a resolution to -.rescind giving support will be moved.. Last week the wharf laborers contributed £17, tliis being 5 per cent, of wages earned. CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The special correspondent of the Lyttelton Times at Greymouth reports that the executive of the Blackball Miners' Union have withheld from the men the proposals submitted to them for a" settlement of the difficulty, and, m fact, even when asked, refused to * produce for the men's information an important telegram which would probably have led to a settlement some time ago. The report further states that Mickey was sent North to collect money and to confer with others. Thi^ is interpreted here to mean that as long as unions m other districts will subscribe money, to support the executive m idleness, they discourage any attempt. at effecting a settlement of the difficulty. The Lyttelton Times points out that the miners , were being wantonly incited to continue the strike by their own leaders. • ."