TIMBER MEN

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1929, Page 5

TIMBER MEN

JEER AT SCABS Police Baton Charge (Australian & N.Z. Cable A«s tt >. (Recd. April 16 at 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 16. Volunteer labour to-day attempted co drive some loaded timber jinkers out of Moore’s Timber Yard at South Melbourne. Mounted police preceded them. Mobs of the timber strikers closed round the jinkers. They threw stones and jeered at the police. The police charged them with batons. The strikers ran in all directions.

Melbourne Notes. the militants. MELBOURNE, March 23. The Militant Women’s Group are conducting their meetings in the interests of the locked-out timber men with continued success. Many centres are being visited, and increased sympathy is being shown. At our last group meeting several good collections "ere handed in. The President and Secretary visited Geelong on Monday, with Secretary ocanlon (timber workers), and addressed a well attended meeting of men affected by the trouble. A report was received by the Group that a party of Girl” Guides would take part in the eight hours’ demonstration, and a motion of protest was moved, to be sent to the Eight Hours Committee. Comrade Mrs Barker has been served with a summons, returnable on the 25th inst, in connection with the trouble at Chitty’s “black” mill last month, when timber workers’ wives were knocked about by the police.

THE “PEACE’’-LOVERS. SYDNEY, March 22. In Melbourne the Chamber of Manufactures. which is handling the dispute on behalf of the employers, has adopted a “black” policy (says the “Workers’ Weekly”). It is instructing those employers who have been receiving timber from yards working the 44-hour week tha't they must cease tc do so. Such timber is declared “black” by the employers; This is being carried out with the assistance of the banks, who are able to refuse credits to any firm which does not obey the dictates the Chamber iof Manutures. Incidentally, this same Chamber of Manufactures is the outfit which staged the “Peace” Conference.

In Sydney the indent timber companies are being notified that, unless they either shut down or enforce the terms of the Lukin Award, delivery of the timber now coming in (timber on order for various of the big timber in erests in this city) will not be accepted. and the banks will not guar antee further credits to cover payments for these imports. This means that the e firms must either obey the dictates of the banks or be forced into bankruptcy. This is th e gentle and civilised manner in which our capitalist bosses enforce their dictates, in the same manner that they are trying to enforce their dictates upon the timber workers by means of starvation. In this latter move they are being checkmated by the trade unions,! who ar e coming to the support of the timber workers. It is nauseating to have to read of the hypocritical slob berings of representatives of the boss class about a scab having been wal loped by someon e who objected t 0 his anti-working-class actions, when the same boss class is trying to starve thousands of men, women and children into submi.ting to lower wages, longer hours and worsened. conditions. The class character o f th e timber workers’

jpockout is becoming still more apparent. but those who refuse to see can fail to realise that the struggle is not one of the timber workers alone, bur. that it is in fact a struggle of the working class against the designs of capital. During the past week the employers, dismayed at the solidarity shown by the workers, as well as by the expense to which they arc subject day by day, have been trying to intimida’e those employers who arc still operating under the 44-hour week and. the old conditions, to force tnem to clqge their yards. They have .*pne to the extent of offering to pay The usual rate o f profit 'to these places if only they will close their yards, and thus put the workers out on the

The “Workers’ Weekly” adds. “The latest employers’ moves are not a sign of strength on the part of he timber merchants, but a sign that they are unable to carry on without the support of the capitalist class as a whole. At the same time they are showing the workers thei r class solidarity. This is a lesson which must not be forgotten. The response whien has so far been given to the financial appeal sent out on behalf of the timber workers must be still more improved upon. Preparations must be made tor an extension of the struggle in the event of the employers trying 'to force the situation. In any event, any action taken must be organised and carried out according to plan. This

struggle must £e won. The conditions of the working class of this country are at stake. The workers must be prepared to take any action which they will be called upon to take in order t 0 secure victory. Do not be stampeded by rumours! The .only official reports on the dispute are those which are sent out by th eDzspntes Committee. ’ ’