MELBOURNE POLICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 November 1923, Page 5

MELBOURNE POLICE

NEED FOR SUPERVISORS. KLAN WARNS UNIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 8. The Assembly read a second time the Public Safety Bill after bitter Labour opposition. Defending employment of supervisors on account o£ whom the police struck, the Chief Secretary said that supervisors discovered constables in bed who should have been on a beat. Others had been found drunk on duty. The Secretary of the Trades Hall Council received a letter purporting to come from Lhe Ku Klux Klan. It states: “So far the Klan has taken no part in the present trouble, but we notice you propose adding fuel to the fire, which has already done enough damage. We do not intend to stand quietly by and allow any militant body of unionists to take upon themselves the usurping of responsible government. Quietly gathering strength, we have not taken any active part in politics, but as soon as you make any move to call out other unions, your leaders will be quietly removed; your power in these matters having passed. “For and on behalf of the Ku Klux Klan. (Signed) J.M.S.” The Trades Hall officials are inclined to take the letter seriously. !- AN EXPECTANT CALM. MELBOURNE, November 9. No further developments are reported in the police strike. All interests are now centred on, the next move of the industrial organisations.