AUSSIE DISPUTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1929, Page 5

AUSSIE DISPUTES

TIMBER WORKERS TERRORISED REVOLVERS USED (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Recd. July 31, 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 31. Following an attack, by members of the Basher Gang at Ultimo, two volunteer timber workers drew revolvers, fired three shots, and held the assailants off until the arrival of the police, upon whose approach the strikers ran away. The “Herald” publishes a statement by a timber worker, whose name is withheld, in which he declares the majority of the strikers are on strike against their will; that the union meetings are dominated by a Communist coterie whose aim was the destruction of legitimate unionism, and the creation of misery. He said' that no Court was needed to go on strike. The real test was preparedness of a man to act according to his convictions and 'to refuse to be terrorised by trades hall conspirators who received their orders from a foreign country.

COAL MINES STOPPAGE "SYDNEY, July 30. A deputation of business men from Newcastle interviewed the Acting Premier to-day, and explained the plight of themselves and employees. They said if the coal mines were not soon re-opened they ■ would become bankrupt. Mr. Buttenshaw said, in reply, that Cabinet had the matter in hand, and he would make an announcement shortly.

It was announced by Mr. Buttenshaw, after the Cabinet meeting, that the Government was unable to intervene in the coal dispute at the present juncture, and they await the report of the Coal Commission. He would ask the Commission to expedite the report upon that aspect of the evidence relating to owners’ profits. The Newcastle coal mines have been idle for 121 days. It is estimated that the miners have each lost £254 by not accepting the proprietors’ offer of a shilling reduction. The average output of the pit hands is about seven tons of coal daily, for which they were originally paid 6/11 a ton. The owners’ offer would have enabled each man to make 42/1 daily. \ SEAMEN’S DISSENSIONS MELBOURNE, July 31. Another upheaval in the shipping industry was threatened owing to a feud between two rival seamen’s organisations. The Victorian branch of the seamen’s union decided that members should refuse to sail with members of the Australian seamen’s union. Secretary Neill stated that those men who subscribed names to a rival association for registration would lose employment and if owners insisted upon employing them, vessels would be held up. This decision would be effective immediately.