LABOUR AND DISORDER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 5

LABOUR AND DISORDER.

MINISTER'S REPLY TO MINERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, September 18. Mr. Griffith, Now South Wales Minister for Public Works, in refusing a request by tho Broken Hill Miners' Association to resign his portfolio and seat, owing to the action of tho Government in sending the polico to protect the Lithgow nonunionists during tho recent rioting, says: "No body of men sworn to administer the law can permit one citizen to 'blue metal' another or set fire to property. If this was not prevented by tho police the persons attacked would have to defend themselves, and wo will ultimately arrive at the xVinerican system—the maintenance by wealthy corporations of Pinketfon men armed with Winchesters. That is a state of things no Labour Government will tolerate in Australia." SOCIALIST CONDEMNATION. At a meeting of Socialists in Lithuow last week,-the following motions were carried :— "That this meeting, held under the auspices of the Socialist Federation of Australasia, Lithgow Branch, emphatically protests against the action of organised workers in tho union of railway workers, who are carrying tho products of scab labour to and from Lithgow to the seaboard; also, their action in conveying five police from various towns to Lithgow in the interests of strike-breakers; also the typographical craft union, which is setting up typo advertising for scab labour in tho 'persons wanted' columns of the daily press; also their actiou in setting up typo in tho leading columns which is misrepresenting the true position of (he workers; also the members of tho post and telegraph craft union, which is carrying postal matter and conveying telegrams in tho interests of Hoskins, Ltd.; also their action in transmitting telegrams to the daily press, to be disseminated among workers, purporting to give an account of the Lithgow trouble, but which is only in tho interests of the employing class, and which is giving a wrong impression of the fight wo are fighting. "And, further,' wa protest against all other workers actively or passively assisting tho further continuance of work at the blast furnrce.

"We further condemn the action of the Trades and Labour Council in their complacent demeanour of demanding that tne present industrial dispute be confined to Litligow Valley, thereby displaying weakness in the fundamental principles of true labour solidarity; »lso, we, the organised workers, protest against the brutal action of the Labour Government in placing at the disposal of Hoskins, Ltd., a police force to bludgeon and savagely attack members of our class—tho working class." Speeches were deliveie<l by Comrades Riley and Rutherford. The latter said if tho workers of Litligow had spilt blood on the streets of Litligow, or performed an act of anarchy, as the papers had said; if they hail thrown a bomb into tho residence'of Hoskins, or done anything contrary to his interests, he, the speaker, would nevo rcondemn the workers.