HOTELS “BLACK.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 9 March 1928, Page 8

HOTELS “BLACK.”

A DARWIN COMEDY. SYDNEY, Feb. 23. ■ Labour unions iu Australia are always ready ,to declare anything "black” —even hotels. Labour unions in the. Northern Territory became dissatisfied with the conduct of hotels there, particularly in regard to the price charged for a glass of "black,” and the boycott was rigidly enforced. But Darwin is a place when men are liable to be overcome with thirst, and it can hardly not kvst out, and they scabbed on their mates. As was inevitable, this caused trouble. Even those men' who are fighting for a principle cannot bear to see another man drinking beer which has been denied them. §o a meeting was held to discuss a removal of the boycott—on wha t grounds remains obscure. As it turned out, the meeting was a particularly rowdy one. It was soon apparent that a majority of those present were opposed to the boycott, but an organised body of twenty men promptly seized and ejected from the meeting a man who was bold enough to suggest that a secret ballot should be held. Matters came to such a pass —the majority were very thirsty, it being a very hot day—•.that the police were several times called in. Eventually, even the police w£re ejected by the organised section. Babylon then broke loose, and a dozen men were speaking at once in Russian, Italian, Greek, ..and ."modern” Australian. Amidst great excitement the Pine Creek and Katherine hotels were declared "white,” but was laid down that liquor from tiros i places was not to be taken to Darwin. A wild rush for these places at once set in. Nobody was killed.

During the meeting the union secretary -was charged with having had a drink during the period all the hotels were "black.” He had many secret sympathisers, and with his head hung in shame he admitted the offence. However, he did not suffer as he deserved vo, and the meeting declared him "■white.” It. was also decided that the embargo -on the Club Hotel at Darwin would be lifted as soon as the proprietor apologised to the union for certain statements that, lie had made against it. In the meantime, hop beer, made and sold by Chinese, is having a large sale.