THE QUEENSLAND SHEARERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XVII, Issue 875, 24 April 1891, Page 6

THE QUEENSLAND SHEARERS.

The following items are the week's news regarding this, trouble : — The shearers have established reign of terror in the Barcaldine district. The unionists are firing woolsbeds, waggons, huts and grass, and capturing the free shearers in all directions. The people are maddened, and threaten to take the law in their own hands. A delegate from the labor federation visits thf> Argentine to report on the advisableness of sending unionists there to form a settlement. The pastoralists are subscribing to the movement. The shearors threaten the railway line-men's wives that if they don't subscribe to assist the unionists their houses will be burned down.

A woolshed on the Gumbai'do station, ■ containing 500 bales of wool, was burned clown by the unionists. The insurance companies, in the face of recent events, are refusing to accept , risks on pastoral properties in Queensland, and are also considering the advisableness of refunding premiums paid' , for insuring these properties and de- ' daring the policies off. J A band of unionists rushed the : Ooreena station and induced a number j of non-unionists to leave. Matters be- ! came so serious that the Riot Act was ' read, and the military charged the mob , with fixed bayonets. Several arrests ; were made. j A determined attempt was made to j burn down the courthouse at Olermonfc. j A portion of the verandah was saturated ' with kerosene and then set fire to. i Fortunately the alarm was raised in time, and the flames were extinguished. It is believed that the object of the perpetration of the outrage was to destroy the depositions taken in the recent conspiracy and riot cases. Six men charged with rioting at Coreena were sentenced to three months' each. Several others, on charges of intimidation, have been committed for trial. The shearers in Barcaldine held a meeting on Saturday, and pledged themselves to obey their leaders' orders. Another batch of men, charged with intimidation at Barcaldine, have been sentenced to three months' each.