FEARS OF VIOLENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1938, Page 14

FEARS OF VIOLENCE

HOPE OF SETTLEMENT

CONSERVATION MEASURES

(From "The Post's" Representative.") ;" SYDNEY, September 29.

A compulsory conference called by the. Federal Arbitration Court having quickly come to an end, the coal-! miners' strike seems, to have settled down to an intense strike, in which violence is not an improbable development. Already serious curtailment of New South Wales railway services j has been announced, and other public! utilities, such as gas and electricity, will be affected shortly. Many hundreds of employees have been dis-j charged from factories. The temper of the miners has been quickened by attempts to introduce j strike-breaking. The Cam trawling firm, which operates a small colliery in the Newcastle district, sent 30 men from Sydney, ostensibly to clear scrub on the colliery property. This action was followed rapidly by two developments. The State' Minister of Labour, Mr. Mair, strongly denounced the use of j strike-breakers. "If owners use such methods, even though they may be within the law, I warn them that they will be held responsible should bloodshed ensue/ he said. "I have been particularly struck by the absolute lack of bitterness shown so far in this dispute, and I sincerely believe that it may yet be peacefully settled* Therefore, I cannot too strongly condemn actions which cannot but materially worsen the prospects of such settlement." The Government is fearful of a repetition of the Rothbury ripts and bloodshed of the 1929-30 strike. CO-OPERATIVE PRODUCERS; The coal-miners themselves would have stopped the strike-breakers. They had picketed the mine involved, an4.a large squad of police was rushed there. Trouble was prevented when the company withdrew the men, despite its secretary's protest against a "reprehensible" statement by a Minister of* the Crown. The miners also are directing attention to co-operatively operated small mines worked on lease. These contribute only puny supplies to the total output of coal, but the miners feel that even the smallest contribution will weaken their resistance. They have picketed these mines in an effort to "persuade" their operators to cease production, and at one took even more fttringent measures. Early one morning two explosions occurred. A firefcox was blown out of a steam engine fjoiler and the funnel was blown out of a disused airshaft. Roads leading to other collieries have been blocked by felled trees. " It is'still the hope of the authorities that the miners will refrain from extreme violence. Restrictions on the transport by rail of goods will begin on Tuesday. The commodities which will not be accepted' for rail transport from that day are. metal, sand gravel, crude ores of all descriptions, cement, lime and limestone, timber, bricks, scrap iron, empty returns, and artificial manures. In addition, no livestock will be carried aY concession rates, except starving stock. The Railway, Department is taking action to conserve coal stocks for the operation of absolutely essential services, and curtailment of passenger services is also probable at the end of next week. Foad transport regulations srtay shortly be relaxed to permit cartage of goods by motor-lorries.