WEST COAST COAL MINES

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 50

WEST COAST COAL MINES

THE BLACKBALL AREA GREYMOUTH, June 12. The position on the coalfields has under* gone no alteration since the miners’ slopwork meetings some time ago, when the question of strike action against the wage reductions was considered. A score of police who were recently sent there have returned to the North Island from the Charming Creek district, where tribute mining has been introduced in opposition to the policy of the unions, but many other police yet remain at Charming Creek. It is understood that the coal miners on the Coast have declared the Charming Creek mine' “ black,” and also the Cascade mine on account of the introduction of the tribute system. The position at Blackball is that the miners have been idle for months owing to a dispute over the conditions and the sharing of work; It is now reported that a party has been formed to work part of the Blackball Coal Company s area on cooperative lines without the tribute system miners. ’ The national and local officials have yet to decide their attitude towards the prospect. At Millerton the miners have, worked only 49 days during the last six months, resulting in distress so serious that the Government to-day was requested by Mr H., E. Holland, M.P., and the union cither to send relief or orders to restore working. • ®9^ son mine is working only a single shift; ’the men sharing the work, despite • the -Railways Departmefft’s statement that the mine was not coping with its orders.

Tribute mining on the Briandale field has resulted in it being also declared black. The tribute system, under which the whole of the output must be sold at the mineowners’ fixed rate, is calculated, in the miners’ opinion, to break down the conditions of work obtaining, and also weaken the union. CO-OPERATIVE PARTY DECLARED “ BLACK.” GREYMOUTH, June 14. It is understood that the miners have declared “blaek” the party formed to work an area of 74 acres of the Blackball Coal Company’s holding near E and D levels under a 10 years’ lease. -The party refused the union’s request to postpone starting until the union’s dispute with the Blackball Company had been settled. Additional police have been drafted to Blackball.