The Daily News FRIDAY, APRIL 3. THE STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 89, 3 April 1908, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, APRIL 3. THE STRIKE.

Tin- position of tilings at Blackball re mains unaltered, 'flic miners seem dc Icrniined to "light to a linish," or, as Mr. ilickoy, the miners' representative, declared at AiieUland tile day before yesterday, "will euiiunoc to strike untii Ihe management yield the demands, or I lie men are starved out." The men's obstinacv is a* hind to understand as their nnrca-nnablcnes.-. They put I Itemselves above the law and everything else, and care nothing for the great principle of arbitration that lias done Sni much for the workers so long as they Siitisl'v their own desires. A way out of the dilbetilty, so far as tin: law is ' concerned, is suggested by j\lr \V. Fraser, Al-l*. for Wakattpti. In a letter to the Dominion, -Mr. Fraser says that he mule his suggestion twelve mouths ago, and j if tlie°Aliuistcr of Labor's Arbitration Amendment Bill to establish Wages Hoards had not been withdrawn last I session he would have sought to give, eli'eci to his views, Air Fraser writes: | •■'J ho keystone of the arch on which tnu Arbitration Act rests is Unionism. It a Union refuses to comply with a decree of the Court, then the registration of that union should be cancelled automatically. Any other union admitting to its i-anlis even one member of the defunct union should at once thereby become liable for said decree, or, in default, have its registration also cancelled. If individuals, without the consent of the union to which they belong (as in the ease of the slaughtermen s strike), refuse; to pay Alios imposed by tlie Arbitration Court, then said individuals .should thereupon automatically cease to be members of their _ union. Nor could any other union admit tJiem into its ranks without assuming the liability of having at once to pay the said line-. Unionism, with all its privileges of preference, etc, should not continue to be granted to those who decline to uhev tin; decrees of the Arbitration Court." Mr. Fraser adds that he does not think he over-estimates the importance of registration, and as trade unionists as a body are intelligent men, ne thinks they would value too highly the 5 benelits the Arbitration Act has eonler- | red on them lo voluntarily and lighllv I place themselves beyond the pale.