THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 7, 2 December 1916, Page 5

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

! STATEMENT BY FEDERATION. Per Press Association. Wellington, December 1. i The Hon. W. H. MacDonald, Ministr«‘ for Mines, states tliat he received information to-day from the States mines that everything was going on satisfactorily so far as they were concerned. Regarding the Blackball miners. Mr MacDonald said he understood that the .Miners’ Federation delegates, who had been interviewing Mr Allen and himself, were returning to Blackball to pub the position before the men. with a view to arriving at a settlement, so that it was quite possible there would he no further development till they arrived there. ; Mr Arbnckle (secretary) and Mr B. Semple (agent of the Coal Miners’ Federation) made the following joint statement concerning Blackball The men have taken the initiative on themselves. The executive has advised them to resume work. With regard to the rumors that other mines will stop on Monday, we put the statements' down as rumors, which are noL likely to eventuate at present. At any rate, the executive is hound to have something to say before that happens. There is a tremendous feeling of indignation amongst miners regarding conscription, and grim determination on their part that their liberty shall not be encroached on by what they deem to he the evil and unnecessary policy on the part of the Government. We are determined that if anything is done, it must he done in a firm and businesslike way, and not spasmodically. Me do not encourage sectional action on the part of any union, as this would not be effective.