THE POSITION YESTERDAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9193, 24 March 1908, Page 1

THE POSITION YESTERDAY.

MR PRITCHARD'S TELEGRAM. AN EX-PRESIDENT'S VIEWS. - [From Octr Corkespond_nt.] GREYMOUTH, March 23. The Union's decision not to pay the j fine is the most important development j that has taken place in strike matters I since the continuance of the struggle i

■■■■m___h_____________— ___*_v''''Kßun_san'_BH_ was decided on. The miners make no secret of the fact that this has been done on account of the great dissatisfaction that exists at the decision of the Arbitration Court. It is argued by the miners that the Court has been' of no real practical benefit. Since the inception of the Court the cost of living has gone up 25 per cent., while the increase in wages has only been 12_ per cent., so that the workers are really losers. The latest Union to censure the Court is the Rrunner Union, which carried unanimously the following motion :—" That the Hon J. A. Millar, Minister of Labour, he informed that this Union has no confidence in the constitution of the Arbitration Court, and strongly urges him to pass legislation to amend the same." The Brunner grant of 5 per j cent, of wages to assist the strikers is | worth about £30 per week. Mr D. K. Pritchard telegraphs to the editor of the " Star " from Christchurch as follows: — "To prevent a misunderstanding regarding my Christchurch address, I never intimated that tlie manager should be kicked out. The Press makes no reference to my criticism of the Government railway construction and criminal inexpediency causing loss to the company. My personal opinion is that the manager is good, but that circumstances have compelled him to be what he is. I did not say anything against the Arbitration Act, but against the administration. The whole report is misrepresented. The rumour of my contesting constituency never emanated from me. I said it was high time that the miners had direct representation, and I certainly would contest seat if chosen to do so. I am addressing the Lyttelton stevedores to-night, and Timaru and Dunedin following. — D. K. Pritchard." The manager (Mr Leitch)i states that," as far as the employers are concerned, no new developments have taken place. ' Mr James Muir, ex-president of the Blackball Union, writing to the Star," says that the miners certainly might have gone a better. • way about presenting their grievances, but the management is also to blame for the way it acted in the matter. Regarding the men who were discharged, he writes : "I do not believe it was for their socialistic views at all, but because they were leading members of the Union. There were members of the Union who have been victimised before even they came here at all, myself in- , eluded, and I don't wonder at them ! asking for a written guarantee so that the same thing would not occur to them. The fact of the matter' is, sir, there are far too many Leiteh's about the Blackball colliery. As regards Mr Tennant,_ Inspector of Mines, I have known him to come here and wire away to the Wellington papers that there Was no such thing as black damp in the. mine, when I've been lying in bed for* four days on a stretch from the effects of it. The place I was working in at the time was not fit for a dog to he in. On this very occasion, while Dr Millingtoil was attending me, I drew his attention to the fact. He wanted me to take action in.. the 'matter at once, and he would hack me up. I told Mr Leitch, sen., at the time what had passed between myself and the doctor, and he shook t his ; head. ' There are standing grievances' in connection with the Blackball mine for many years, and it is more than time that some of them were settled. If the present strike is the means of settling a few of the worst of them, then the strikers have accomplished much. It is certainly appalling to see and hear of those who ought to be the very strongest supporters^ of the Union lagging behjnd, and in some instances standing aloof altogether < at a time when both words and actions are required to help their brother unionists along. Tlie strikers at Blackball have done nothing whatever they need be ashamed of. It certainly requires a most searching inquiry into the circuni--tances of the whole affair."