POLICE UNPOPULAR

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1930, Page 5

POLICE UNPOPULAR

COAL-FIELDS BITTERNESS REMOVAL FROM HOSPITAL (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, January 18. Undeterred by police action on Wednesday, the Miners on the Maitland field decided to resume mass picketing, Fearing a move by the men, the hundred police have been strengthened by a flying gang and a wireless patrol stood by at Cessnock, last night, during the assembling of a Communist meeting. A conference of delegates from lodges on the Northern coalfields rejected proposals for a general strike. The conference re-affirmed the policy of keeping Southern, Western and unassociated Northern pits at work to provide levies for the idle miners. Remarkable prejudice against the police was exhibited at Cessnock Hospital, when, following complaints, from a number of patients that a police sergeant had been admitted for treatment, the Board of Management decided to ask the authorities to remove the sergeant to another institution. He, later, was sent to Newcastle hospital. So bitter is the feeling, that employees of the Kearsley Shire Council refuse to operate the sanitary services at places where police are quartered. In an effort to settle the coal deadlock, the Australian Labour Party instructed the secretary to convene a conference as early as possible, of the New 1 South Wales Federal members of Parliament, New South Wales State members, and the Australian Labour Party Executive. f

“WORKERS’ ARMY.” SYDNEY, January 19. About fifty Communists assembled outside the Sydney Trades Hall to-day with the object of enlisting names foi* a “Workers’ Defence Corps.” The members of the Kurri Kurri Coalfields Pipers’ Band gathered to head a procession through the streets, but the police suppressed the procession, and the crowd then went into the Trades Hall, where a resolution was carried pledging themselves to form a Workers’ Army, to combat “the bosses’ tactics in every sphere.” Four cargoes of British coal, aggregating 27,000 tons have been sold to Australia during the present week. CONFERENCE FAILURE.

SYDNEY, January 19.

It is understood here that the conference of parties in the coal dispute convened by the Prime Minister in Melbourne was abortive. Mr. Bavin is returning to Sydney to-morrow, and attends a special Cabinet meeting, which will develop plans for re-opening additional coal mines with volunteer labour.

It is also stated that the Premier is intent upon suppressing the so-called workers’ defence corps.

GENEVA FAILURE.

GENEVA, January 19. The International Coal Conference has ended, failing to agree upon the hours of work. The employers proposed eight, and the miners seven, the voting on the compromise 74, being equal. The only decision was to include the question at the International Labour Conference in June.