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have?—lt was per man per day. Under the " Billy Fair-play " system it was 3 tons 2cwt. in the Brunner. 1474. Then, on the gross, in the Brunner? —5 tons 13cwt. 1475. Did you make any deduction from these weights as to what the relative prices should be ?—No, it was no business of mine ; you will be able to get that from Mr. Eobertson. 1476. Is there anything you can think of yourself that you would like to say ?—No. 1477. Mr. Moody.] You do not know anything outside your own duties ?—I do not interfere in anything else. In fact, I have very little time, to tell you the truth. 1478. The Chairman.] What are you hours of working ?—Sometimes I work twelve, but I am not at the mine all the time. 1479. Do the union find fault with you for working twelve hours?—l am not aware that fhey do. 1480. Mr. Brown.] How do you expect this difficulty to be settled ? —I suppose both sides will have to give a little. 1481. There is no question of wages pending, is there ? —No. 1482. What is the question at present in dispute ? —lt is just a question of principle at present. 1483. Can you justify the principle? —Our rules forbid us working alongside non-unionists ; that is the only definition I can give you. 1484. Your local rules forbid you working alongside non-unionists: are they printed?—l do not know that that rule is printed yet. 1485. Have you anything to do with other unions ?—We are affiliated, of course—that is, with the Maritime Council and its bodies. 1486. Have they interposed in this dispute at all ?—Yes, of course ; they called us out; at least, we, being affiliated with them, agreed not to supply any coal to the Union Steamship Company's boats manned by " blacklegs." 1487. Was that done at their request or by your own action ?—lt was our own action entirely. 1488. Are you a member of the executive of the union yourself?— Yes. 1489. And you know pretty well what is going on ? —Yes. 1490. Can you tell us how it is that in other places in the colony where there are union men they supply the coal they have worked to any one that wants it—in the North Island especially, at Kawakawa, and in the Waikato ?—I do not know anything about that. 1491. This also occurs at the Kamo and Taupiri Mines ; also at Springfield, in the South Island. You say your rules prevent you from working with " blacklegs." Does that mean as mates with " blacklegs," or working in the same mine?— The present question is not as to working with " blacklegs " in the mines ; it is a question of supplying the Union Steamship Company with coal. 1492. Does your rule extend so far as that ? —Yes; it was passed at a general meeting. 1493. Then this is an emergency rule or resolution ?—Yes. 1494. Is supplying the Union Steamship Company, working with "blacklegs"?—lt is not necessarily working with "blacklegs," but still it is, because we are affiliated with the unions who are interested, and we are all one society. 1495. Are you aware how far the Union Company are running their steamers without union men? —I am not. Only that they are running, and that the strike still continues, so far as the Union steamers are concerned. 1496. The Chairman.] I thought a " blackleg" was a man who seceded from a union, and that the name, as applied here, was erroneous ?—A man who works where union men have struck is a "blackleg; " if he was a union man he would not work. 1497. Have you any idea of how a solution of this difficulty is to be arrived at, seeing that the Union Company's boats are already manned by men outside the union ? Are you to remain out altogether because the seamen are out ?—There are only a very small number of their boats manned; there are a great number of their boats laid up. 1498. Are you aware that there are thirty-four out of forty-two already manned?—l thought they had twenty r -one or twenty-two. 1499. I saw it stated in the newspapers a fortnight ago that there were thirty-four, and since then the " Eotorua " and two others have been put on commission. If these seamen remain out, and all their places are supplied, would the miners still remain out? —I could not say that. 1500. Mr. Broion.] I want to see if there is any hope of a termination of this ?—Personally speaking, I believe there is. 1501. Will the principle require to be altered to enable the strike to cease ?—I do not know I am sure. I hope a solution will be arrived at this week, or in a few days, at Lyttelton. 1502. Is there a conference there now? —Yes. 1503. Do you say that union men object to work in the same mine with non-union men?—■ Yes, they do. 1504. The Chairman.] Have you had experience in strikes before ?—Yes ; two or three. This is the best of them, though. I can manage this one better than the others. I have no one to keep but myself now. 1505. There are many men with wives and families, are there not?— Yes. 1506. Are they feeling the pinch ? —Not very much. There is not a great lack of food yet. 1507. Are they getting very much in debt?—No; they are allowed so much per week per adult, and so much per child. 1508. Mr. Brown.] The question that constitutes the trouble just now is not a local one ?—No. 1509. Could you suspend a strike that arose from outside ? —lt would be a breach of faith if we did.