MINERS STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22765, 18 July 1939, Page 9

MINERS STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA

NATIONAL REGISTER RESENTED LABOUR LEADER SEEKS TO END HOSTILITY FIVE ARRESTS REPORTED IN PERTH (UNITED PHESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received July 17, 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 17. Coal miners in Australia held a one-day strike to-day as a protest against the national register. On the other hand, many thousands clamoured at city and country post offices for cards with the object of registering. All male persons between the ages of 18 and 65 are requested to fill in cards setting out their age, country of birth, whether they are married or single, the number of dependent relatives, and their occupation.

Wealth and property cards must be completed by persons with gross assets of £SOO or more.

An attempt to end the trade union hostility to the register advanced a further stage to-day, when the Federal Labour leader (Mr J. Curtin) agreed to meet the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) and the Minister for Defence (Mr G. A. Street) in conference at Melbourne on Friday to try to arrange an amicable settlement.

Mr Curtin hitherto expressed the view that the trades unions would “play into the hands of the Government and ruin their own chance at the next election if they disobeyed their obligations under the national register.” A message from Perth says five men and one woman carried a coffin bearing the slogan “We are not going to be cannon-fodder for Menzies” through the city to-day in a protest against the national register. All were arrested.