COAL STOPPAGES

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 91, 17 April 1923, Page 7

COAL STOPPAGES

OBJECTION TO MAGISTRATE

OPPOSITION NOW WITHDRAWN.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPI/tIGHT.)

(Received 17th April, 11 a.m.)

SYDNEY, This Day. Coal miners at a meeting at Cessnock decided to approach the owners with a view to the resumption.of work on Wednesday. The stop-work motion passed as a protest against Major Crane presiding at the local Courts was rescinded.

Eecent messages have stated that whenever Major Crane, the district Magistrate, has sat in the Newcastle and Maitland districts, the coal mine employees have thrown the pits idle. The miners °.yen threatened to boycott, the races ir Major Crane attended them. A later .message stated that Major Crane had explained to the Minister of Justice that the miners were opposed to him because he tried a miner in his absence on t charge of allowing stocK* to stray. The prosecution had explained that the miner Was absent because his child had died the previous night, but. that the miner intended >to plead guilty. Major Crane added that he accepted the plea and imposed the fine, with ample time in whicl^ to pay, as the least inconvenient procedure for the ■ mirier.