THE MINERS' ADVOCATE.

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

THE MINERS' ADVOCATE.

MR PRITCHARD AT LYTTELTON. Mr D. K. Pritchard went to Lyttelton last evening to address a meeting on the subject of the Blackball strike. The meeting was held in 1 the open in Norwich Quay, and about a hundred persons were present. Mr Pritchard delivered an address on the lines of that given in the Opera House on Sunday evening, outlining the events leading up to and surrounding the Blackball strike. He explained that he had come to Christchurch entirely at his own expense, without any assistance from the Union. His criticism of the Arbitration Court had been misrepresented as the opinion of the Union in condemnation of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Had he come in another capacity than that of the miners' advocate, lie would have condemned the Act, but he had a mandate from the Union only to condemn the administration of the Court. He did not condemn the principle of the Court itself. After reference in strong terms to the attitude taken by the Press in .regard to the strike, he said that the only means remaining to the workers of appealing to public opinion was the means he was then taking — a means which was sure to enlist sympathy, as it had done on the previous night. The. subscriptions to date included a number of substantial weekly contributions from labour organisations, such as should efficiently meet the arguments of those who said that the strikers had not the sympathy of the workers. He had it on official authority that the reason for the proposal to reinstate the discharged miners was that after the Hon J. A. Millar ' had been to Christchurch, and consulted with the directorate he obtained their consent to the reinstatement, in order to preserve the good name of the Conciliation land Arbitration Act. .At the conclusion of the address, which lasted for about an hour, some • questions were asked and answered, and ; the meeting then dispersed.

Three hundred streets in Berlin are ; planted with 44,000 trees, which represent a value of £38,000. The care of the municipal parks and gardens requires 250 gardeners and 700'assi_jjtants, male and female, principally the '/latter.