COMMUNIST TO LEAD MINERS IN AUSTRALIA

Chronicle (Levin), 29 March 1947, Page 5

COMMUNIST TO LEAD MINERS IN AUSTRALIA

MORE EVIDENCE OF INDUSTRIAE TURMOIJj Receiyed Friday, 9.50 p.m. SYDNEY, Mar. 28. The general president of the Miners' Federation will be Mr. I. Williams, secretary of the Victorian branch and a well-known member of the Communis, Party. " The hallot will be announced later, but it is understood that Mr. Williams has secured an unassailable lead. The Labour Farty vote was divided amongst several candidates. The former general president (Mr. A. Wells) was suspended from office in.th„ Communist Party for failure to recontest the position. Labour Party sup porters saw in this a hope of cracking the long-standing monopoly by the Left wing of the Pederal leadership in the coal, waterfront and heavy industry unions. "Uuless the Chifley Government acts the only conclusion to be reached is thai the Communist Party 1ms it bluft'ed, " said the Country Party leadei (Mr. Fadden) today. "The spread of Communism in Australia is soniething wliich iuust cause the gravest coneern to every patriotie and thinking citizen, yet the Government refuses to do any thing to eurb this element which is nox only disrupting industry but is also imperilling national seeurity. " Mr. Fadden said that the Menzies Government had lifted the ban on the Communist Party' on certain coiidition-. of cooperation which had never been kept, yet "the ban was not reimposed. The Country Party stood for declaring the Communist Party an illegal organis ation and for exercising such striei viligance over its members thai there need not be the slighiest fear that they would be able to carry on by underground methods.

The Federated Engindrivers and Firemen's Association loday ignored the ultimatum of the New South Wales Trades and Labour Council to instruei its meml.ers to return to work at Morts' Dock and subsidiaries. As a result the association has Jost its atliliation with that body. A meeting of the striking enginedrivers decided without considering the ultimaturn to adjourn until Thursday. It also agreed that the union would not be a party to any negotiations undertaken by Mr. J. D. Ivenny, assistant secretary of the Labour Council, and moved disafifiliation last night. Members of the enginedri vers ' unions did not return to work last nionth when the four monllis' dock hobl up was settled on lerms of a compromise. The latest development threatens to create a rift between tho I.abour Council and several large and influential unions. A blitz on unauthorised strikes is expected to follow the address to union oiTicials by the Minister of Labour and Industry (Mr. Hamilton Knight.) The Federal executive of the Federated Clerks' Union has decided to impose a lian ori the shipment of wool from Australian ports to operate from a date to be decided. A statement issued by the union claims that responsibility for the dispnte rests with the Arbitration Court because of the alleged delay in the hearing of the union application for an award for wool clerks. The ban will aft'ect shipments of wool to England, America and the Continent.