ALL OUT

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1931, Page 9

ALL OUT

GENERAL STRIKE PLAN

AUSTRALIAN EXTREMISTS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 12th February. The A.C.T.U. (Australian Council of Trado Unions), a body to which most of the Trades Councils are affiliated, has corrio into prominence with the Litest suggestion for the economic relief of Australia—a general strike. The ' proposal is doomed to failure, although it is bound to receive a big measure of support. Ostensibly a general strike would be against the wage cut of 10 per cent, recently ordered by the Federal Arbitration' Court, an institution, by the way, which the A.C.T.U. fought so hard to retain when it was threatened by tho Nationalists a little more than twelve months ago. At that timo the A.C.T.U. was a champion of the Court. When tho application for a •wage reduction was before the Court (ho secretary of the A.C.T.U. (Mr.' Crofts) was the unions' advocate, and^ it is evident that the gruelling ho re-' <-eived at the hands of the Judges made Mm bitter. lie has now joined hands ■with his arch enemy, Mr. J. Garden, of the Sydnoy Trades Council, in advocating a. general strike. Sinco the Court gave its .judgment, and refused- to alter it even at the request of tin; Federal Government, Messrs. Crofts and Garden have given much of the timo to insulting Judges in general and in demanding a big strike, "Iho bigger the better." They are suggesting that every capitalist, or near capitalist, is a .scoundrel, and they 1.1 Ik as usual about grinding the worker down.. Tho general strike has often been advocated, by Mr. Garden —it is Jiis palliative for every ill —but it is surprising in the circumstances to find Mr. Crofts, who was generally credited with having morn sense, in the same «amp. Nothing Mr. Garden did would surprise anybody, lie loves notoriety, and unfortunately for Australia he gets plenty. Most people thought that Mr. Crofts was iv a different category, but apparently tho extremist bug has gripped him tool ATTITUDE OF A.W.U. Tt is extremely unfortunate for both these gentlemen that the Australian "Workers' Union, one of Hie largest unions in the Commonwealth, has sf-offed at Ihn ide;i of a general strike. It was doubly unfortunate that the A.AV.U. should be holding its annual conference when the idea was first put

forward, for it meant that there was mo delay in reaching a decision. The Minors' Federation, which is expected to amalgamate with the A.AV.U. very soon, has also decided against a general strike, so what chance has the A.C.T.U. of success? Several branches of tho Australian Railways Union hove shown a loaning in favour of n strike. This has heartened tho A.C.T.U. considerably, but at the same time it has been challenged' to take a ballot of tho railwayman. It is almost certain that tho ballot would bo against any strike proposal. And so there is still some hope that sanity wiU prevail, even in Australia. :