ALLEGED INTIMIDATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1922, Page 4

ALLEGED INTIMIDATION.

STRANGER COMES TO BLACKBALL POLICE CHARGES DISMISSED. By Tfelecraph.—Press Association. * Greymouth, Last Night. The Magistrate’s Court was engaged all day in connection with charges made •by the police against five Blackball miners, who were alleged to have intimidated another miner between the 16th and 18th ult., in that they sought to compel him to refrain from working, contrary to the provisions of the Police Offences Amendment Act, 1913. The evidence showed that a miner named Griffin came to Blackball and commenced work, but chat he left the district after working one shift, and it was alleged he did so in consequence of intimidation and threats, the miners holding that outsiders should not be employed while several local residents with families were refused employment. Counsel for defendants admitted that certain of the defendants saw the man and explained the position to him and expressed the hope that he would not accept employment while local men were overlooked. He submitted that such methods were quite lawful and that the statute was not aimed at them, unless accompanied by violence or threats of violence. The Magistrate dismissed the charge against Balderston, the secretary, without calling on him to answer the charge, but evidence for the defence was gone into in respect of five others. \ In the end all were dismissed, the Magistrate holding that no breach of the statute had occurred.