THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 118, 9 May 1908, Page 2

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE.

UOM'KKENUK WITH THJS DJIiEUTOIIS. Per I'lcss Association. Christcliurch, Lust Night. The two delegates who were sent u Uhristelnirch by the Blackball iliuc-rv Union to place the Union's suggestion; before the directors of the company were received this morning, Xlie sitg gwtiotti placed before the directors wei'i stated by the delegates to be those on which the Union would advise the men to return to work, and were as [ollows: 1. That tlie seven men d'smissed 011 February :>(> should be reinstated and that the mine manager should undertake not to victimise the seven men. 2. That the miners will agree to come out and truck when required for two hours out of the eight hours they are underground, the miners doing this "work to be selected by rotation, That the Union will allow two truckers to work overtime when required 011 the special work uf attending to the crane, and terminal of (lie eml less rope wllicli requires expert hands; the crib time to be ;>0 minutes. The directors were agreeable on tlie following terms:— 1. The seven men dismissed to lie reinstated and the mine manager undertakes not to victimise them. 2, 1 lie crib time to be ol) iniuu-es, & All other conditions to be as law down in the award of the Arbitration Court, and the same as were in force previous to February 2<ith, when ili: men went on strike. The directors said they had trom time to tune been informed through tlie newspapers and the strikers' stateliients that the hall'-hour crib was the sole reason for the men remaini,,,, on strike. They therefore had everv"reason to expect that the terms proposed would be accepted by the Union, as the only point on which there wa.j any divergence m the terms was the question of overtime. This matter was discussed, and it was pmn ed out by the delegates that ru, fi ot the Union rules, which had been 111 force since 1905, provided a penalty o- Ms for each offence on any miner beg a member of this Union who worked more than eight hours underground t was contended that this rule " I nickers as , V WI „s miners, ami K |i«into,l out m tlni( f„ r tile , Hie truckers l mil when required, being pai.l t Hue and a-quarter for so doing, and ed" The J?,V°r l,ilhwto be ° n enfore - Lhe arbitration award provided for overtime being worked, as well ils the ordinary rates „f work hours under ground. Owing to the lin, Icd carrying capacity of the aerial tram, it lSvwwcsniMr ,

retfe-i&srSS aws-artSf s ?® overtime until the when overtime will tip „ fin,slle d> Furthermore, the full nntr, n . ,lec<!SSfll ' '.y - ---t"hh it <) " ired ' ! I" d in oVto «!' that .11 th e mTSn'Srta JT 7 six honrq dn,i i V 1(1 wo *k their i-w^tho 0 ml . r.. h : 0 "? 0,,t thfc :ix hours

mi,.r,' 'f ' y "we "" the overtime dtecffln " 11 Arbitration Court to 0 „ 'h. f' 80 ! as the men l„tvo been r tc " wccl " out of the ten months tune estimated by the Government as necessary to complete the rail"■>l.l. and it , s conceivable that it mav >e prudent to elose the mine until the lamvay is finished, the company's clients have made arrangements for a supply for their requirements and its colliers are fully occupied under charter ; arrangements. The delegates having slated that thov had not power to bind the Union agreed to report the directors' xnggosfloll' Thev leave on their return to the West Coast by to-morrow morning's train.