THE BLACKBALL TROUBLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2152, 30 March 1908, Page 3

THE BLACKBALL TROUBLE.

GOVERNMENT STRONGLY CONDEMNED, , WARM COMMENTS BY WELLINGTON PRESS.

(Special to “Times.”) i WELLINGTON, March 29. In regard to the Blackball strike, the local press is unanimously of the opinion that the Minister for Labor and the Attorney-General are wrong in their interpretation of the Arbitration Act. Even the Ministerial -journal, in a leading article, waxes sarcastically -humorous on the subject. Referring to Dr. Findlay s interpretation, the “N.Z. Times says:— “We may he dense or weak in oui grasp of the essentials of the English language, but, as the Americans say, ‘This beats us.’ Meanwhile the outstanding and lamentablo fact is that the law has broken down. It is obviously impossible to administer it as it stands, and. the 'knowledge of this fact has done more to hearten tiie Blackball strikers and embolden then ■sympathisers than any. measure that could have been devised. If the Act is amended and the punitive clauses deleted, as suggested by the Prime 'Minister, it will bo still less operative The whole thing resolves itself into this, that only -so long as common 'sensoNand loyalty are tho (milling' factors can. the principle of arbi'tra/lion. ‘bo siist-aimed. As m other cases, so in th-is. As soon as passion and greed enter the door, reason flies out of the window. Tho “Post” says:—“lf the Arbitration Court decided that the statute is impotent to punish accessories to the maintenance of tho Blackball stuko, then there w,ill. be ground for amendment, but until tho Act is tested,-the Minister for Labor and tho AttorneyGeneral are quite incompetent to say that it is not sound., that is then opinion, .and it may he a good opinion, hut legally it is of no consequence, since i the validity of the Act is quite outside their jurisdiction, and is expressly to be decided by the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Coiirt. We regret that the failure of the Government to enforce the Act to tho limit of its power,,by refusing to carry a test case to the sole court That can decide'it, at the time when the test is urgently demanded by public policy, should givo color to tho accusation, that the Government, for political reasons, is evading its plain administrative 'duty.” These two articles voice the general feeling here. /

TYNESIDE MINERS REFUSE TO QUIT WORK.

WHARF LABORERS UNION DECLINE TO STRIKE.

Press Association. GREYMOUTH, March 29. The Blackball miners received a great disappointment on Saturday when tho Tyneside miners, by a largo majority, refused to strike. Delegates from Blackball arrived to attend and address the meeting, but were refused admittance owing to them not being members of the union. Mr. Russell, director of Tyneside, and also a member of the union, attended the meeting, and pointed out the great loss that would incur by tho mine being closed down. The vote against the proposal to strikg was 78 to 12. The news was received m Blackball with disgust, it being understood that the Tyneside miners would stand by the Blackball men. > ,\ meeting of the Wharf Laborers Union was held this afternoon to consider the question of striking out of sympathy with the Blackball miners. It was unanimously decided not to strike, and that a levy, of 45 per cent on the men s total wages be made for 'the maintenance of the women and children. JTo sum of ~o Os Gd was collected in the hall,