“STAY-UP” STRIKE

Grey River Argus, 14 August 1937, Page 4

“STAY-UP” STRIKE

MAN IN FOREST TOWER. SYDNEY, August 5. Threatening to shoot anyone who approached him, a “stay-up” striker, armed with a shot-gun, defied for 24 hours all attempts to dislodge him from a 110 ft forestry observation tower near Mornington (Western Australia) before a friend induced the man to throw his gun to the ground and leave his aerial retreat. Armed police, who had kept under cover of the giant jarrah trees, leapt out and pinioned him as he reached the ground. Caretaker of an abandoned agricultural Bank farm and father of six children, the man, George L. Elliott, claimed that his family could not live on the 35s he was receiving as sustenance rates. He mounted the tower in a spectacular plan to draw attention to his plight. “I don’t want charity, I want justice,” was his cry as he banished a shot-gun and demanded that the Chief Justice of Western Australia should investigate his complaint. Before scaling the tower, from which scouts kept a look-out for forest fires, he left at his farm a letter of five foolscrap pages in which he wrote: “I have taken possession of the forestry tower, and I don’t intend to come down until I get justice. As my position becomes more desperate I intend to shoot to kill. I am well armed.” The amazing drama was enacted in heavy timber country. The tower rises from a high hill, about 100 miles from Perth. Elliott kept vigil throughout an icy cold night. He had an overcoat and ammunition, but no food. Police received news of his defiant action in a letter from his wife to the Mornington Postmaster. A constable and two other men hastened to the tower. Elliott defied their overtures. Exercising caution in view of a shouted threat tha* he would shoot if they interfered, the party argued with Elliott, but in vain. Later in the day another effort was made to persuade Elliott to come down. The party was reinforced by a doctor, who offered the man food. Elliott still refused to descend. The doctor climbed the tower and left tea and bread on 90ft landing of the tower. Towards sundown, a friend of Elliott volunteered to aid the police in a night attempt to capture him. Reinforcements of police from Parloop and Waroona were rushed to the scene by car, and tne party took cover under the huge jarrah trees while Elliott’s friend courageously left the protection of the timber and strode to the bottom of the towering look-out. Elliott was wide awake. He had watched the progress of the police car for miles. The friend made himself known, and Elliott suddenly capitulated throwing the shot-gun to the ground in token of surrender. As he'stepped to the ground he was surrounded by police. Elliott, charged in court next daywith being armed with intent to break into a building,, said: “I nearly fainted at the breakfast I got this morning. It was the first decent meal I’ve had for three months. What could I do? My children were not getting food that they should have had. I had seen them going hungry to bed, and I was ashamed to see them rush the pig buckets from the mills to get any ‘tit-bits’ as they called them. My whole household should go under a doctor’s care till they get back to good health again. There is not a good rug or garment in the house.” A similar story of misery was told by Mrs. ElliottElliott was remanded for eight days. * _