UPROAR AT MINERS' MEETING

Chronicle (Levin), 21 July 1949, Page 7

UPROAR AT MINERS' MEETING

Received "Wednesday, 11 p.m. ~ SYDNEY, July 20. At an. area meeting of coalminers at Cessnock today, th.e chairman declared a motion carried favouring a continuanee of the strike until the miners ' claims were met and until union leaders were released from gaol. There was, however, a strong bid made by moderate miners to- reverse this and they demanded that an amendment be put to .the meeting calling on the Coal Mining Union council to bring the strike to an end.

The amendment move was eheered from all parts of the crowd but the chairmap, who is a member of the Communist Party, declared the amendment defeated on the voices. This caused an uproar and many miners called for a count. By this time it was too dark for a show of hands and the chairman declared the meeting closed. Many miners called out as they left the meeting : "We will be baek at work on Monday." The meeting lasted three hours. : There were many interjections, mostly from elderly miners,' but the police had no oecasion to interfere. The only scene oecurred at question time when a miner asked Communist E. Ross, editor of the miners' paper, why the Communist Party had repaid the money to the bank. Ross replied: "It looks to me as ir this is Catholic action. ' ' An uproar oecurred until the chairman restored order and Ross made an unqualified withdrawal amid cries of 1 ' ( ehuck him out. ' '

I11 Sydney today, Mr. R. Hamilton, acting general president of the Miners' Federation, said that the federation would not follow the Communist lead and rebank £23,700 with a view to obtaining the release of the leaders gaoled for contempt of court. Mr. Hamilton added that it was hoped the money would he used for the purpose for whicn it was withdrawn, namely, the relief oi the miners. That was the wish of the miners themselves. Still Militant. Striking miners in the main northern centres indicated today at meetings called by their leaders, that they were in favour of continuing tlie strike under the present policy. The meetings were used by the lead. to report progress aud test the feeling of the rank and iile but were not "aggregate" meetings m tlie mining tradition. At Kurri a meeting of 1200 miners carried a decision to continue the striice with only three voting against it. An addendum to the motion that aggregate meetings shouid be called and a full vote recorded, was rejected on the grduhds that this would show sign ot weakness. The meeting resolved: "We condemn the action of politicians who have been campaigning in the coal•^elds im .fq^ile attempts to split.; ,the. ••^tihe- on their ihdus't'rial; Cfhims. \Ve declare we have 110 intention of diseussing any terms of settiement unless they include the release of union leaders and satisfaction of our industrial claims. We commend the action of the union 's council in calling on the Australian Council of Traue Unions to arrange a conference with the Government and all parties concerned in the dispute. We feel that if sucn a conference talces place, it may be the means of forcing a basis where by satisfaction may be gained for the mine workers. ' '