SITUATION AT BLACKBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 37

SITUATION AT BLACKBALL.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, March 5. "Last evening, at a largely-attended meeting of the union, the vexed question of "crib" time (which may yet cause trouble in another colliery) was discussed, Mr Turton's recent decision upholding the mine manager's desire to enforce 15 j minutes being severely and adversely eriti- , cised. . The meeting eventually decided j that, even, if the ballot proposal was con- j ceded, the members should not return to , work till the management agreed to allow the men the half-hour. The effect of this, if it had been agreed to and the eight hours' shift observed, would have been that the actual working 1 time would have been from six hours to seven hours and a-quarter, according to the tfisfcboe of the face from the, entrance. ; The employees' representative says that, j einee last Friday's conference proved abor- j *iv«, the company has simply awaited developmente, reckoning that the Govern- j jnent would sooner or later have to. put>" ihe.law into motion. On the other hand, ihe miners, while eagerly discussing the j latest move on the part of the department, ear' *hat no member of the union ever denied committing a breach of the aot. |>ut " there is such a thing as being goaded on to break the law.." , .. ' . • They are jubilant at the action being taken against the union and not against the •individual miners. The union apparent!* will not feel the pinch much, and the miners

will J.avc an opportunity of ventilating their grievances. Th« 2 acting secretary to the union, in the course of an interview in to-night's Star, replies to some statements by Mr Leitch "Strong exception is taken by the miners to the assertion which Mr Leitch makes of the reason why the union wanted a tare of the tubs being taken — viz., that they w&nted the tare taken in dry weather, - becausa the boxes became light. Regarding the violation of the Arbitration Act, we do not contend that the men here have not lefi the mine without a moment's notice, but take the case that Mr Leitch himself instar-ces — viz., that of Jameson. Did Jameson not tell Mr Leitch some time ago that he had obtained a situation on the railway, and that he would leave his employ as soon he got a man to take his place? In the interval, and while waiting for his place to be filled, he (Jameson) lost the t situation in the railway. The real issue, j which Mr Leitch is trying to obscure, is not the question of ' instant dismissal, but of wrongful dismissal. Regarding his reason for dismissing the men, did Mr Leitch not say during his interview to Mr Lomas that his reason for instantly dismissing the I men wa*> to bring the men to discuss the 10 hours question? Surely this is antagonistic to all conciliation. As no information can be obtained from the books of the union in reference to 'crib time, it cannot be said that 15 minutes is an ofnoiab agreement of ours, hence, there being no binding agreement, we do not consider we have violated 1 any law in taking 30 minutes. The miners have now decided to include the enforcement of 30 minutes crib time in their demands. We are positive that if the present dispute had not occurred there would have been trouble in view of the verdict given against Mr P. H. Hickey in the Warden's Court on Monday last. On that point the feeling of the men is now very high, and the justice of their contention is backed by every conceivable moral law, and by the entire medical fraternity as to ventilation. Doee Mr Leitch remember on© night not so ' very long ago when two of the men came i out early off the back shift, and told him the fan must have been stopped, as the air would not even turn their lights inside the air boxes, and thet they had been vomiting from the effect of bad air?" In reference to the difference in production of 10 and eight hours' shifts, the secretary contradicts the manager's state- | ment that the output would be 25,000 tons less. He says if sale days are accounted for, decrease would be about 14,000 tons per annum. "As to a. ballot," continued the miners' i representative, "Mr Leitch asserts tacitly j that he objects to the ballot, as he desires | to retain the married men with homes in j Blackball. Yet he actually dismisses two married men in connection with the present dispute, one of whom paid him a cheque of £120 for a house he bought off | him .(Mr Leitch), so that he could not have been ignorant of that individual's matri1 moriial condition. Mr Leitch says that he j desires to keep labour up to a certain ' standard. Does Mr Leitch assert that the men dismissed were not competent ( miners in bpard and pillow work? If so, why were they not dis- I missed before ? We are of opinion thai Mr Leiteh's actions are not analogous with his reasons given previously." ! In reply to a query by the reporter, ! the secretary said- the present position was — (1) Union demands the reinstatement of the dismissed men, which the ' manager agrees to. (2) The union demands ! that m future when men are to be dismissed a ballot shall be held. The manager refuses this. (3) The union demands that "crib" time be half an hour. The management orders 15 minutes, the men abiding by the union time— viz., 30 minutes. "A likely demand," added the representative, "is that a public inquiry | will be held into the full circumstances of the dispute." Generally speaking, the decision* of the Government is commended in Greymouth, where the situation is viewed with a great deal of alarm. WELLINGTON SYMPATHY. WELLINGTON, March 5. At a meeting of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council this evening every delegate expressed sympathy with the Blackball strikers. The following resolution was carried unanimously : — That, having heard the employers' and workers' views ad to the origin of the strike, this council endorses the action of the Blackball Miners ' Union." The secretary of th« council was instructed to telegraph to the secretary of the Miners' Union asking if the union : needed financial assistance. A resolution was also passed expressing the view that unless the Government takes proceedings against the Blackball Company (1) for discrimination, and (2) for a lock-out, the unions and trades counoils of New Zealand should seriously consider ways and mean 3of bringing about a just administration of the Arbitration Act. , j SOME AUCKLAND QUALMS. ! (From Our Own Correspondent.) J AUCKLAND, March 5. i Dining the discussion at the Trades and Labour Council last night, prior to the carrying of the resolution approving of the Blackball miners attitude in striking, Mr Spratt questioned whether the strike is merited the council's sympathy. Were they not working under an award? The President: Yes. Mr Spratt said the men had their proper redress at the Arbitration Court. If they 1 agreed io the motion they would be going j the right way to kill the act altogether ana I revert to the system of strikes, j Several delegates supported the motion. | They alleged tnat many prominent unionists throughout the Dominion were being disj missed, and this was the only weapon the workers had. ANOTHE^. MOTION OF SYMPATHY. The following resolution was passed by ; ■ the Otago Trades and Labour Council on ; ! the sth:— "That this council extends its j ! sympathy to the Blackball Miners' Union I ! in standing by the seven members who j were discharged from the Blackball mine i-without reason, and trusts that it will be I successful in its efforts to prevent unionists from being victimised for giving expression ■ to their political opinions." I ALLEGED BOYCOTT. At the last meeting of the Trades and Labour Council, in the discussion that took place on the dismissal of the seven prominent unionists from the BlaokbaU mine, several delegate* freely expressed

the opinion that there wa6 an organised attempt throughout the- Dominion on the part of employers to boycott any man who took a prominent part in advocating the cause of labour. Instances were cited where this course was adopted in Dunedin, and where indications went to show that the federation of employers intended to extend this " viciou3 principle " to all employees in the Dominion and thus prevent aggressive unionists from earning their living. The delegates present were very pronounced in the opinion that it was the plain duty of all unionists to do everything in their power to prevent this state of affairs from spreading any further, although it has, it was alleged, long been known to exist locally, and that measures should be taken to prevent its extending further. CHARGE AGAINST THE UNION. TO BE HEARD ON WEDNESDAY, (From Our Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, March 6. The Blackball Miners' Union held a meeting this morning, when a letter^ was received from the Wellington Trades and Labour Council expressing its entire sympathy with the union in its attitude, and asking if the union stood in need of any financial assistance. The Acting-secretary said this was the fourth letter of sympathy and offer of support from the four chief centres in the Dominion. He also stated that a mass meeting had been held in Christchurch under the auspices of the Socialist party last Saturday, when resolutions of sympathy were carried unanimously. There had been fully 1500 present at that meeting. At the same meeting the union was informed of the steps being taken by the Government, but the action of the union in the matter has not been disclosed. A correspondent in to-night's Star, referring to the Blackball Company, says that in 1892 (16 years ago) the company was formed. It has since lost two-thirds of its capital and wiped it off as lost, and on the remaining one-third of its original capital it has paid three dividends — viz., 2i, 5, and 5 per cent — all within the last five years. It has been decided that the Arbitration Court shall meet on Wednesday. THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTION. GREYMOUTH, March 6. Mr Lomas, of the Labour Department, has received instructions from the Government to proceed against the Blackball Miners' Union for a breach under section 15 of " The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1905." Mr Lomas (of the Labour Department) has forwarded to Mr Prkchard (acting secretary of the Blackball Miners' Union) the following :—" The Gourt of Arbitration has fixed Wednesday, March 11, fo? the hearing of" proceedings instituted under section ' 15 of ' The Industrial Arbitration Act Amendment Act, 1905,' -under subsection (b) of section 101 of the principal act. A breach of an 1 award may be taken either by an inspector of awa-rds or by any party to an award. I am instructed by the Minister of Labour to inform you that if you desire to submit any grounds upon which you allege a breach of your award or of the Industrial Conciliation Arbitration Aot has been committed by the Blackball Coal Company these grounds will be at once considered, and if they disclose a prima facie case against the company, I, as inspector of awards, will institute proceedings to be heard on Wednesday next, before, with, or after the pending proceedings against your union tinder section 15 above referred to. I am also directed to point out to you that under the said paragraph <b) abovementioned your union may itself institute proceedings against the company for any breach of the award or of the act your union may complain of. I should be glad to hear from you at the . earliest possible moment in reply to the communication. — J. Lomas, Chief Inspector."