Blackball Miner's Union officials waiting in the snow in Hart St for a Court Ruling.

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DescriptionBlackball Miner's Union officials waiting in the snow in Hart St prior to a Court sitting to rule on the legality of their right to go on strike.
The Court decided against the workers.
Greg Chilton-Smith During the 1908 Blackball strike, the Arbitration Court held a hearing in nearby Greymouth and fined the Blackball miners 75 pounds. When the men refused to pay, their personal possessions were seized and auctioned to raise money for the fine. The striking miners then warned local people not to bid for the goods, so the auction raised pennies instead of pounds.
Greg Chilton-Smith Harry Chilton might well be in the photoMap^[1]External LinkStrikes and Labour DisputesContributorBlacks Point Museum

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Location (city or town)BlackballOrganisation (eg business)Blackball Miner's UnionEventBlackball during a Strike.

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Category TagCoal Mining

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Date Created21st April 2020CommentsRick Giles Well, in 2017 it was part of the Dennis Smith collection. Posted by Megan Smith without the caption of being about awaiting a court decision.
So if Blacks Point Museum have appropriated it then they should be the ones to stand by their captioning. Maybe the think this is the famous strike that those Aussies stirred up in 1908?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestCoastNewZealandhistory/permalink/1587796964566937/
Blackball strikes were mainly about wanting more than a 15 minute lunch break. There were always safety issues as well but the main strike, which lead to the formation of the NZ Labour Party was the ridiculous short time for a lunch break.

Rick Giles Heather Newby Standard version is what John said. Much else and the old Aussie Blackball Socialist spirit will show itself and strike me down!
Heather Newby this particular strike.. it says.. The Court decided against the workers.... do you know what year it was and what exactly they were striking for?
Rick Giles Nope.
Who says so? Someone has taken Smith's photo shared in 2017 and furnished these details. I'm suspicious of the claim.
Craig Smith Rick Giles I have seen this pic albeit a copy I think in Formerly the Blackball Hilton or possibly the top pub. I seem to remember a caption like that with it but could be mistaken
Rick Giles Craig Smith Yes that's right. It was shared here in 2017 and is already on the website. Link is above
The new attribution and new caption...where did they come from?
Craig Smith Rick Giles yup cant help there
James Newby John White and ironically the judge hearing the case took half a hour or more for his “lunch breaks”
Mark Marinan If my memory is correct, the judge had a 1.5 hour lunch break
Shane Tibbotts Didnt you attend that meeting Janie Wilson
Laura Mills Detlaff Felicity Pudds?
Felicity Pudds Laura Mills Detlaff I've seen this before
Laura Mills Detlaff Felicity Pudds Is it def the strike? Les Neilson

Janie Wilson Ha ha I won't if you don't Shane

Greg Chilton-Smith The strike that finally ended New Zealand’s reputation as the ‘country without strikes’ broke out in 1908 in the West Coast mining town of Blackball. In the Blackball mine, miners had only 15 minutes to eat their ‘crib’ or lunch – and their manager wan…See More

Greg Chilton-Smith During the 1908 Blackball strike, the Arbitration Court held a hearing in nearby Greymouth and fined the Blackball miners 75 pounds. When the men refused to pay, their personal possessions were seized and auctioned to raise money for the fine. The striking miners then warned local people not to bid for the goods, so the auction raised pennies instead of pounds.
Greg Chilton-Smith Harry Chilton might well be in the photo

Les Neilson No it’s nothing to do with waiting for the 1908 strike it’s in the 1930s looks more like having fun in the snow
Greg Chilton-Smith Les Neilson anything to do with this?
With the arrival of full economic depression in the 1930s, a new threat to miners and their union emerged: tributism. Although the word is unfamiliar in these days of employment contracts, the ideas behind it are n…See More

Heather Newby Greg Chilton-Smith sounds like this is it..It looks more like 1930 than 1909

Karlene Jane Batchelor Legends.....

Michael Graham Blackball Hilton in the background.
Jock Allen dowlings pub and miners hall

Les Neilson Jock Allen Blackball Hotel Hughe Dowling was years latter

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Blackball Miner's Union officials waiting in the snow in Hart St for a Court Ruling.

Editing is temporarily disabled