we will tie the mine up.” An unheard-of proposal, but tie up the mine we did, with a demand that the dismissed men be reinstated.
The amount of attention given to this strike was really astonishing. We were bombarded with delegations, telegrams, and threats, with the result that we felt quite important personages. The Arbitration Court rushed headlong to the scene, or rather to Greymouth, and fined this small Union of about 120 members £75, or 75 per cent. of the then maximum penalty, for striking.
I have a vivid recollection of the Court scene. About thirty miners attended as witnesses, each with a red ribbon in his coat and the majority wearing red ties as well. I well remember the gleam in “his Honour’s” eye and the frown upon his face as the witnesses entered the box. To this day I feel convinced that the severity of the fine was due as much to the prevalence of our red ties and ribbons as it was to the “crime.”
An interesting incident occurred during the hearing of this case, which we afterwards used with much effect. Our solicitor, the late Sir A. R. Guinness, in addressing the Court, referred to the “crib” time allowance of fifteen minutes as being altogether too short; his Honour remarked with a frown that he thought fifteen minutes ample time. He then glanced at the clock, noticed that the time was 12.30, and stated that the Court stood adjourned for lunch till 2 p.m.
THE STRIKE CONTINUES.
This strike brought to light a fundamental weakness of the Arbitration system. Whilst it was quite an easy matter to fine a union for striking, that by no means ended the strike. The press and public
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