INQUIRY SOUGHT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21924, 19 January 1946, Page 5

INQUIRY SOUGHT

UNIONS_IN N.S.W. HANDLING OF FUNDS RAISED FOR INDONESIANS SYDNEY, Jan. 18. A searching inquiry into the handling of funds collected for the Indonesian seamen who were recently stranded in Sydney has been ordered by the New South Wales Trades and Labour Council. It was revealed during a debate that the Indonesian seamen had made £34,000 available for investment in the fourth Liberty Loan. The fund was opened last September by 22 waterfront unions with the endorsement of the Labour Council. Mr. T. Liston, of the Australian Workers’ Union, who moved for the inquiry, said that the unions were asked to send contributions to the letter box of a Chinese organisation. He wanted to know how the money was spent, and how members of the Indonesian committee hired launches for harbour demonstrations against Dutch troops and limousines to drive round the waterfront.

In seconding the motion, the president of the council said the Indonesians had collected £34,000 among themselves and invested it in the fourth Liberty Loan. Afterwards, he had received a letter from Darwin with a cheque for over £IOOO. This would be sent to the trustees of the other money.

The meeting was marked by a constant crossfire between the Communists and anti-Communists. Mr. Liston claimed that there had been “too much monkeying with the funds.” The council should have controlled the appeal, which was actually made by three people, two of whom were not members of the council. The box number used belonged to a Communist auxiliary. Eighty British Indians, who arrived in Melbourne by ship to man the Dutch vessels which are held up in 'Sydney and Brisbane, may refuse to work. They will not man the vessels until they know why the Indonesian crews are on strike.