have had fifteen minutes for “crib”; as manager of this mine, I order you to resume work. I looked up at him, and objected to his arbitrary demand, and replied: “But look here, Boko, I haven’t eaten my pie yet.” “No joking,” he replied; “I order you to resume work.” “And I refuse,” I replied. He then intimated to me that he would institute proceedings against me under the Mining Regulations for “refusing to obey the lawful commands of the mine manager.”
He hastened from me, and gave a similar order to another mine worker, whose adherence to Union principles was not his strong point.
In due time I appeared in the Magistrate’s Court, and was fined, I think, 21s., with 35s. costs, or a fortnight’s imprisonment.
Meanwhile, we continued our agitation and insisted upon greater attention being paid to the sanitation and ventilation of the mine, this latter complaint being particularly well-grounded, for the amount of consideration shown by the management to this essential item being meagre indeed.
Acting on instructions from those “higher up,” the mine manager entered the mine one memorable day, came into my working place, and ordered me to “get to hell out of it,” and said he had put up with enough from me. I went—outside the mine. Presently, others came out to join me—there were seven of us in all—J. Goldsmith, H. J. Fox, T. Milligan, G. R. Hunter, W. Bromilow, and P. C. Webb. That night a Union meeting was held, the Secretary, Mr. Walter Rogers (a capable official, a fearless fighter, and a grand comrade, whose premature death was a great loss to Labour) said to me: “There is only one thing to do;
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