THE COAL STRIKE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 85, 21 January 1930, Page 5

THE COAL STRIKE

ALL NOW QUIET.

. COMMUNIST RALLY FAILS. CACHE OF MUNITIONS IN SCRUB. (United Press Association—Copyright.) ("Received This I)av, 10.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. •A police flyinc squad on the coalfields discovered a dump of several hundred rounds of ammunition and a quantity of gelignite detonators in the scrub at Kurri. It is thought to be part of the recent thefts from mines. Police are now on duty at most pits.All was quiet on the coalfields yesterday.

The attempt at a rally by Sydney Communists failed to arise any enthusiasm.

The Labour Defence Army appears to have been disbanded, as no parades have taken place for a while. CONFERENCE FAiLS. PROPRIETORS REJECT PROPOSALS. (Received This Daw, 10.25 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. The compulsory coal conference presided over by Judge Beeby in the Arbitration Court, has failed. Mr McDonald (chairman of the Northern Colliery Proprietors’ Association). definitely refused Air S'cullin’s proposals for a settlement. A conference was summoned following an application by the Federation after the new log had been served om the employers, and when it failed Judge Beebv ordered the matter to be brought before the Court.

THE RIOT AT ROTHBURY. SENSATIONAL STORY IN COURT. SYDNEY, January 20. A sensational story of the Rothburv mine riot, when one miner was killed, was told at the Maitland' Court today, when eleven miners were charged with having, on December 16, taken part iir an unlawful assembly and of having torn up the Branxton railway line. The Magistrate decided to deal with the cases separately. Edward Auburn was convicted and fined £5, in default a month’s imprisonment. The police evidence was to the effect that revolver bullets were first fired froin the crowd which stormed the colliery. Several thousand men, with sticks and stones and, uttering the vilest threats, tried in vain, to reach the volunteer workers. “Let s kill Weaver,” (Minister of Mines) was a notable threat.