LABOR NOT POPULAR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17173, 1 February 1930, Page 14

LABOR NOT POPULAR

EFFECT OF COAL STRIKE PAID AGITATORS IN N.S.W. “Two months ago, when 1 last visited Australia, the people all seemed pleased with the advent of the Labor Government. "The position is reversed to-day—l believe that if there were an election to-morrow Mr. Scullin and his party would not go back into power.” Colonel J. Preston Stevenson, who has just returned from Australia, made these remarks on the Maunganui at Auckland. He visited the coalfields, saw something of the conditions and came away with the opinion that the end of (lie strike at Cessnoek is in sight. “I think that Mr. Bavin’s move to stop payment of a dole to men who are concerned in unlawful assemblies is having the desired effect," he remarked. “There was a general feeling among the miners, outside the militant factor,,that it was a good thing for the Government to take such a firm stand.” In the opinion of Colonel Stevenson the whole trouble at the mines has been caused by a few extremists and a number of young, hot-headed miners. The men of 35 to 45 were more sane and were looking for the strike to end as quickly as possible. These men, he said, would willingly accept the new conditions as desired by the Government. “If a' secret ballot were taken • tomorrow I am sure that the majority of the men would accept the new conditions,” continued Colonel Stevenson. “The striko is being kept alive by paid agitators. They are being paid overtime, and in some instances are getting as much as £l2 a week while the strike is on. “Businessmen in New South Wales are very anxious to have the strike settled. There is no doubt that it has seriously affected the prosperity of the country.’—Sun.