COAL STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25833, 18 June 1949, Page 7

COAL STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA

MINERS’ DECISION DEPLORED FEDERAL INTERVENTION URGED (Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY. Jun. 17. Only intervention by the authorities could now avert a general coal strike from June 27. said the general secretary of the Miners’ Federation (Mr G. W. Grant). In the House of Representatives in Canberra to-day the Attorney-General (Dr. H. V. Evatt) said that the Government and Crown law authoritiei were in close touch with the authorities of the States and with the Coal Industry Tribunal. He added that the order made by the tribunal against yesterday’s stop-work meetings had. been obtained at the instance of ceal companies. Information received to-day waa that action was contemplated by companies to obtain a further order. A Labour member. Mr J. Chalmers, who is a representative of the Western coalfields area, told the New South Wales Legislative Assembly that the miners had pointed a gun at the

Government's head and that they had goaded the rank and file members to vote for a general strike. “This speech may mean that my political future may be very short, but that means nothing to me.” ha added. “I have a-duty, not only to the people of my electorate, but to the people of Australia. “I have lived my lifetime in the coalfields. I come from a mining family. I know what it means to the coalfields people to be days and week* without employment. But no Government which fails to accept such a challenge from a minority can survive.” The Acting Minister of Transport (Mr W. F. Sheahan) said that a general strike would be a crime against the community. He warned that no coal would mean no trains and that the transport services must be cut to the barest