MINING DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 75, 21 December 1929, Page 11

MINING DISPUTE

JUDGE’S RESUMPTION ORDER

IGNORED

COAL-HEWING AT ROTHBURY

ANOTHER COLLIERY IDLE

(United Press Association.— By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Rec. December 20, 10.20 p.m.)

Sydney, December 20.

Messages from the Northern coalfields state that no miners applied for work at any of the associated idle collieries in accordance with Judge Beeby’s order for the re-opening of these mines. Neither did the coal owners make the slightest effort to re-open the mines. The Judge's order thus has been ignored by both sides. Coal-hewing is still proceeding smoothly at Rothbury, and some trucks have been filled ready for transportation. Approximately two thousand strikers marched to a small bush colliery called the Myall Mine, near Cardiff, this morning, and induced the non-union miners employed there to refrain from going to work. This colliery has been working right through the dispute until to-day. JURISDICTION .OF FEDERAL COURT MR. BAVIN TO TEST IT Sydney, December 20. The Premier, Mr. T. R. Bavin, announced that the Crown Solicitor had been instructed to apply to the High Court of Australia for a writ of prohibition restraining the Federal Arbitration Court for attempting to exercise jurisdiction over the State Government. He added that the work at Rothbury Colliery would continue until it was ascertained how the law stood in regard to the Arbitration Court’s jurisdiction. ANOTHER MARCH BY MINERS DECISIONS OF LODGES Sydney, December 20. A meeting of representatives of the whole of the Northern mining lodges decided ■ again to go to the Rothbury mine on a greater scale than, and in a different manner from, those of previous occasions. Other decisions made were to establish a boycott against any industrial company or firm supplying fodstuffs to th free labourers and the police. It was decided that all men should be withdrawn from the whole of the unassociated collieries on the Northern fields, and that all lodges should picket their respective mines on Monday next, next. < The police confiscated 12,000 military cartridges from the Cessnock Rifle Club for public safety. Brankton shopkeepers, fearing a boycott, refused to serve the police who arrived in town. On behalf of J. Garden, secretary of the Trades and Labour Council, a writ has been issued out of the Supreme Court against Smith’s Newspapers, Limited, claiming £5OOO damages In respect of an article in “Smith’s Weekly,” dealing with Garden's attitude during the Rothbury trouble.