MINERS DEFIANT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 9

MINERS DEFIANT.

PICKETING RESUMED

Intense Bitterness Shown To Police Force. COAL DEADLOCK. {United P.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Received 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. "Undeterred by the police action on "Wednesday, the miners on the Mainland field have decided to resume mass picketing. Fearing a move by the men, the 100 police have been strengthened by a flying gang and a wireless patrol, which stood by at Cessnock last night during the assembling of a Communist meeting. conference of delegates from the miners' lodges on the northern coalfields rejected proposals for a general strike. The conference reaffirmed the policy of j. ee ping the southern, western and miassociated northern pits at work to provide levies for the idle miners. Remarkable prejudice against the olice was exhibited at Cessnock Hospital when, following complaints from a dumber of patients that a police sergeant had been admitted for treatment, the board of management decided to ask the authorities to remove the sergeant to another institution. He was later sent to Newcastle Hospital. So bitter is the feeling that the employees of Kearsley Shire Council have refused to operate the sanitary services at places where the police are quartered. In an effort to settle the coal deadlock the Australian Labour party has instructed the secretary to convene a conference, as early as possible, of the New South Wales Federal members of Parliament, the New South Wales State members, and the Australian Labour party executive. No Sign of Settlement. An earlier message stated that the situation 011 the coalfields was again quiet yesterday. The mines from which the unionist safety-men were withdrawn are being worked, the owners having supplied their own safety-men. The Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin, is making further efforts to Wring the parties together and these are taking definite shape. >: The mincowners have not disclosed the terms of the latest oiler made bj JVIr. Scullin, but it is understood to be practically identical 'with the one submitted by him a month ago,"namely, that the Federal Government was prepared to provide a subsidy of ninepenee a ton. That offer was rejected. The owners held a meeting to consider the matter. At its conclusion Mr. McDonald, chairman of the Association of Northern Colliery Owners, held out little hope of the acceptance of Mr. Scullin's proposal. Ho said the owuers were emphatically opposed to bounties which ■were only likely to provide a temporary settlement. The Prime Minister announced last evening that no settlement of the coalmining trouble is yet in sight. , His discussion with the Premier of New South Wales, Mr. T. R. Bavin, will be continued. Mr. Bavin's principal mission is to induce Mr. Scullin to disband the Labour Defence Corps which, he asserts, is illegal-under the Federal Constitution.