BULLER COALMINERS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1931, Page 8

BULLER COALMINERS

SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT. WESTPORT, July 26. As the result of decisions made by the Union coal-miners in the Bullet district, at meetings to-day, all the mines in Buller —Denni.ston, Millerton, Stockton, and Westport Main —with the exception of the tribute and cooperative mines, will be idle on Monday, and it is stated, will remain idle until the whole question of the Union’s light against the tribute and co-oper-ative system is threshed out. Apparently acting under orders from the West Coast Miner’s Council, which met at Westport on Saturday and at which all West Coast and Buller Unions were represented, the Unions have decided to stop work, and at each meeting to-day reaffirmed, the decision to make every effort to stamp out tribute and contract mining. The miners’ next move, it is thought, will be to approach the seamen and request them to refuse io take ships to sea laden with coal produced by the tributors, and already efforts are being made to have a conference of representatives of Seamen’s. Watersiders’, and Miners’ Unions ,at Westport to discuss the matter. The development has created some surprise in mining circles, ior only a few days ago Denni.ston and Westport miners had agreed to start work again after a', month’s stoppage, on Monday. The Millerton-Stookton Union had decided not to wmvrk. Outside Aid? The new decision is regarded lightly by executive mining officials, however, and one said to-day that “it was only a.' bit of bluff.” The unionists were powerless to stop the spread of the tribute and co-operative system, lie thought. For two years the Cascade mine had been shipping coal ■ mined on the tribute plan, and the miners had said nothing, but when the system had started to spread, then trouble bad been inevitable. “‘The seamen are not likely to accede to a request not to work vessels carrying tribute cfVal.” another official said. They bad already refused one request to do that, and the watersiders, who are to be represented at the proposed conference, laid been directed by the Alliance of Labour to bundle the coal. The only settlement that he could see was lor the miners who were, protesting to "eturn to work. There was no hope of stamping out tribute or co-operative mining. Position in Grey. Meanwhile the position in the Grey district mines remains unchanged, and police are still stationed in reinforced numbers at Blackball, where the unionists have made a, determined attempt to frighten the tributes from their working on the Blackball Company’s property. The company is now producing coal steadily from the new dip at Blackball; and is gradually increasing its staff. Tile only development in connexion with the organised boycotting of anything connected with the tributers at 'Blackball is the decision of the Blackball storekeepers, made last week, to supply anybody who cared to give them custom. Previously the stores bad refused to supply cooperative or tribute miners.