INDUSTRIAL POSITION IN AUSTRALIA SERIOUS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6867, 23 March 1929, Page 9

INDUSTRIAL POSITION IN AUSTRALIA SERIOUS

Coal Mining Crisis in N.S.W. VIOLENCE SPREADS IN TIMBER DISPUTE SYDNEY, March 7. With the expiration of the notices served on 12,000 miners on the northern coalfields a fortnight ago, another huge army of unemployed was thrown

on the market on Friday last. With the 7000 timber workers now ! on strike against the 48-hour week | award, the industrial position in New South Wales and, in fact, in Australia generally is serious. Day by day more men are being drawn into the struggle, and unless action is taken shortly by the Government, there will be a hold-up in industry rivalling that of 1917. Matters in the timber workers’ dif pute are becoming heated, and violence is spreading. Last week many clashes were reported between strikers and volunteer labourers in Victoria, and in one instance a mob of 200 raided the works of one firm and dragged volunteers from their work benches, assaulting them with iron bars and lumps of wood. During the last three days, mob violence has spread to New South Wales, and many cases of volunteers having been set on by organised gangs of strike pickets have beecn reported to the police. One particularly vicious assault was mado on a party of volunteers who were returning from one of the waterside yards. When they had disembarked from a launch at Fort Macquarie, near Circular Quay, they were attacked by a gang of pickets which arrived in ears. Seven volunteers were badly mauled and had to receive hospital treatment for deep cuts on the heads and arms. Broken bottles, scraps of timber and . iron piping were the weapons used by the strikers. Coal Developments. i

Daily production of 32,000 tons of • coal, the product of the pits which : have stopped working on the northern ' fields, has been cut off, and the various i services are now relying upon the supplies in hand and short supplies from ; southern and western mines which are i not, as yet, affected by the trouble. Widespread distress is rife on the ' northern fields and many miners have left the district seeking work elsewhere until the trouble is settled. Owners are seeking to force'a lower wage, on the men, while the men refuse to listen to any discussions proposed by the State Premier (Mr Bavin) and the Prime Minister (Mr Bruce) which involve wage reductions. Evidence that the fight is likely to be a long one was given at many of the mines, when workmen were ordered to remove all their tools from tho pits. Safety men have also been withdrawn. This latter action "was taken by the men themselves. It is the rule usually for the safety men to continue their examinations of tho workings of the pits throughout a strike in order that, as soon as a settlement is effected, the men can return immediately to work. The safety men, however, issued an ultimatum to the owners that they would refuse to inspect tho mines while their comrades were “locked out.” Pit ponies have been brought to the surface and placed “on tho grass”—another sure sign that the owners anticipate a long struggle. Many miners and their families at Newcastle, who have managed to save a little, have gone holidaying at Lake

Macquarie, a famous ashing resort in the vicinity. Many have taken vp net fishing and are already making a fair living out of the venture. Citizens in the various towns on the coalfields arc forming relief committees to give food and clothing to the wives and children of the out-of-work miners. Many other unions arc likely to be drawn into the miners’ light, and there is a possibility that industry throughout the metropolitan and Newcastle areas will be brought to a standstill until the settlement of the trouble on the coalfields. Governments in all States aro viewing the situation with alarm, and a special conference of the Premiers of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia has been called to meet at Canberra and discuss with the Prime Minister measures for the solution of the problems.