BLACKBALL MINING TROUBLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2136, 11 March 1908, Page 2

BLACKBALL MINING TROUBLE.

Press Association. GREYMOUTH, Alar eh 10. The Groymouth Star understands that tho Blackball "Union will proceed against the company for breach of award in dismissing men because they were unionists. ®

COURT PROCEEDINGS

Press Association. GREYMOUTH, Alarcli 10. The members of the Arbitration Court arrived to-night from Christchurch, and will be in Blackball late to-morrow morning. Air. AI. Hannan will conduct the proceedings for the Crown, and Air. Guinness for the Blackball Aliners’ Union. Mr. Guinness, acting for the Aliners’ Union, will proceed against- the Blackball Coal " Company for a breach of the award under section 108 of the main Act, which reads as follows: —“Every employer who dismisses from his employment apy worker by reason merely that the worker is a member of an industrial union, or who is conclusively proved to have dismissed such worker merely because he is entitled to the benefit of an award, order, or agreement, shall be deemed to have committed a breach of tho award, order, or agreement, and shall be liable accordingly. A good deal of interest is taken in tho case-, and the proceedings will be watched by large numbers of miners from Blackball. DAMAGING THE CAUSE.

One of the phases of the Blackball mine strike dealt with by the “Lyttelton Times” is worth the earnest consideration of those who loudly talk sympathy with tho law-breakers. The Blackball miners,” it states, “if they give any thought to tho subject at all, must see that they arc rendering their fellow-workmen a very poor service. For ourselves, wc are concerned a great deal less for the Arbitration Act than we -are for tho general cause of labor. The Arbitration Court may be trusted to .deal effectively with the breaches of the law, but there is no authority that can repair tho, damage that is being done to the workers’ position before tho country. The Trades Council arc behaving with a strange lack of foresight at this juncture. They should be using their united influence to bring the "West Coast miners to their senses. AVo confess we are disappointed with tho labor leaders. Apparently they fail to realise that public opinion, which is strongly in favor of the arbitration system," is turning .against their side, and nothing but a vigorous and consistent championship of the law will now restore their cause to the favour which it enjoyed a dozen years ago.”