AUSTRALIAN MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 December 1944, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN MINERS

CONFERENCE ARRANGED LABOUR PARTY SPLIT SYDNEY, December 14. An emergency conference between the miners and the Federal Government will be held to-morrow in a last minute attempt to settle the dispute on the miners’ Christmas holidays issue. Miners’ representatives and delegates from the Australian Council of Trades Unions will confer with the Acting-,Prime Minister, Mr. Forde, in Canberra. Mr. Rowley James, M.H.R., who is liaison officer between the Government and the coal miners, believes that the necessity for keeping up the coal supplies for the new British Pacific Fleet may have a significant effect on the miners’ attitude. He said: “I believe that if the.miners were impressed with the importance of Mr. Curtin’s promise to Mr. Churchill that the British Fleet would never be let down, the vast majority of the miners would do their best to redeem that pledge.” The miners’ General Secretary, Mr. Grant, would not comment to-day on Admiral Fraser’s warning that, if coal supplies broke down, the Fleet would be immensely affected. Latest developments in the coal dispute indicate that a serious breach between the political and industrial sections of the Labour Party is threatening. To-day “The Standard, official organ of the Labour Party, makes a strong attack on the Miners’ Federation. The Federation announced yesterday that it had complete, support of the trade union movement. The paper rebukes the Miners President, Mr. H. Wells, for “wild talk,” and says that the charge that the Government is “too weak to fight the coal owners” is gross libel. 11 this Government goes out of office to-morrow it need not be ashamed of its treatment of the miners,” says “The Standard.” “There is only one effective answer to the miners’ challenge,’’ commented the Sydney “Herald” editorially, it is to freeze the funds out of which the strikers are paid. The Miners Federation deserves to lose control ot the moneys that are employed to promote a breach of the law. Ihe coal strikes, if persisted in, must lead rapidly to a paralysis of production and the crippling of Australia s war effort.” WAGES TEST CASE. (Rec. Noon). SYDNEY, December 15. The Miners’ Federation issued a Supreme Court writ against the Commonwealth Government challenging its right to garnishee the wages of miners, and to collect unpaid fines. The writ is intended as a test case in all garnishee matters. One garnishee strike has now lasted nine days, resulting in the loss of nearly 11,000 tons of coal. A second fourday garnishee strike has cost 3200 tons. To-day is pay-day on the northern New South Wales coalfield and it is understood that the Federal Government will try to collect by garnishee all the fines unpaid. BLACK MARKETING. SYDNEY, December 14. By a majority judgment the New South Wales Full Court dismissed a challenge to the validity of the Black Marketing Act. In a dissenting judgment the Chief Justice (Sir Frederick Jordan) held that the act was an encroachment on the judicial powers of the Commonwealth and was therefore invalid. Mr. Justice Davidson and Mr. Justice Nicholas took the opposite view and thus the Court, by a majority, upheld the validity ot the act, dismissing an appeal against his conviction and sentence to a prison term by a trader on whose behalt the validity of the Black Marketing Act had been challenged. For the appellant it was argued that because the Black Marketing Act gave the Attorney-General power to decide whether offences under the National Security (Prices and Rationing) Regulations should be proceeded with summarily, or on indictment, and whether the prosecutions should be under the Prices Regulations or the Black Marketing Act, it was investing the Minister with part of the judicial power of the Commonwealth, which could properly be exercised only by the Court. The upholding of this opinion would have set aside hundreds of convictions for black marketing. QUARANTINE REGULATIONS CANBERRA, December 14. As a precaution against the introduction of Malta fever, which _is communicable to man the importation of goats into Australia is permitted only from New Zealand and Britain. This is notified in to-day’s Commonwealth Gazette. Cattle and deer hides imported from New Zealand,' Fiji, Norfolk Island, Western Samoa, New Caledonia, Tonga or the New Hebrides are required to be accompanied by an additional certification certifying that they have been thoroughly salted. Fodder, hay and chaff from any country except New Zealand cannot be imported unless approved by the quarantine authorities. CLOTHING CONCESSIONS CANBERRA, December 14. The relaxation of eighteen of the major “Austerity” restrictions on the manufacture of merits, women’s and children’s clothing is announced by' the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Forde. The main effect of the relaxation will be that trouser bottoms may be made up to 22 inches, with full double cuffs. Coat-type shirts with more buttons may be made again. Men’s and boys’ pyjamas may again have pockets. Women’s garments may be manufactured in the double-breasted style, and Raglan sleeves are allowed. Riding breeches and playsuits may be made for women and children. CLOTHING SUPPLIES. (Rec. 1.0 p.m.) CANBERRA, December 15. Australia will supply clothing for men of the new British Pacific Fleet, in addition to meeting heavy demands from Australian and Allied forces, said the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr. Forde). The expanded service production together with the maintenance of essential civilian requirements would place a very severe strain on the clothing industry with its depleted staffs. Mr. Forde revealed that orders for Australian and Allied forces were 400,000 garments behind schedule.