SCATHING ATTACK

Chronicle (Levin), 23 March 1946, Page 5

SCATHING ATTACK

OFFICIAL SPINELESSNESS Al'STRALIAN COAL INDUSTItY Received Priday, 8.10 p.m. CANBERRA, March 22. The Government' s failure to support the decisions of tribunais and eniorce penaities against strikes and lock-outs m the coalmining industry is scathin^ ly attacked by Mr. Justice Davidson in a tliree-volume report tabled today in tbe House of Representatives. Describing the coal industry as tottering, he says that no system oi settling nulustrial disputes could survivo the practice of Cabinet Ministers acceding to union demands. These demauds foilowed adverse decisions of tribunais and were that the judge be withcirawn from future exercise of the same juris(liction, and tnat the decision b-e reversod or an alternative henefit conferred. Mr. Justice Davidson was chairman of the Commission which recently conducted a comprehensive inquiry into the coalmining industry. It was commonly alleged, his report stated, that many stoppages were due to the machinations of Communisis fur thering .their doctrine of gaining strength by stirling up strikes. The Communists accepted the doctrine that good work would iinaflly convert the miners' organisation into a really revolutionary union. In many centres Cominunism had become a religion, wnich was ousting the heneficial influence of churches with the cry, "What have the chnrches done for ns?" Use should be made of a secret ballot conducteu by the Court for calling or continuing a strike. * The only remedy for industrial turImlence was improving the living and sucial conditions, observation of the law and agreements, and the imposition >l discipiine. Matters would be assistr*d by granting the employees the right tu attack inanagers before tribunais for alleged wrongful acts, by introducing mecnanisation and by abolisning the u.-iitracts systein. 'ine stoppages were caused by propa gamla, lack of discipiine, the effect of th'- contract system and the mackinatif.ns of disgruntled minorities. He iound that some witnesses who asierted stK-nuously in evidence that they were Communists appeared to have only a hazy idea of the doctrines of Communism, which they interpreted as meaning merely the rule of the majority. The contention that every trouble in the industry was due to irritation tactics of the managements could not be accepted by any reasonable observer.