COLOSSAL STRIKE LOSS

Chronicle (Levin), 30 July 1949, Page 5

COLOSSAL STRIKE LOSS

(N.Z.P.A.T

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Tiireat To Tar And Feather Communists

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SYDNEY, July 29. The Eesearch Service estimates tnat since the co^l,strike began the miners throughout Australia have lost £1,237,000 in wages, including £1,024,000 in New South Wales. The wages loss of other workers is estimated at £23,181,000 in the Commonwealth and £17,006,000 in New South Wales. The total loss occasioned by the strike is calculated at £94,208,000 in Australia and £69,164,000 in 'New South Wales. Despite some re-employment in South Australia and Queensland there are still ^ 6(14,000 people unemployed in Australia, im-luding 425,000 in New South Wales. The openeut niiners at Musvvellbrook today threatened to tar and feather the Communist, Edgar Oss, associate editor of the niiners ' paper Common Cause, and amenities offieer of the Miners' Federation, if he visited the district. A miner said: " We will give anv Communist who conies here a rough time and run him out of town. Alosl niiners have boycotted Common Cause 1 heeause it is edited by Ross. We are noi hostile to the troops and will give them a l'air go, but we would mueh rather work ourselves." The spokesman for a large group ot openeut and colliery niiners endorsecl the statemont and said that the time ; wqs eoming when the niiners in the ' Ringleton-Muswellbrook-Gunnedah area would break away from the niiners' Federation. The Muswellbrook niiners were determined to return to work even if it meant aeting on their own. Noisy demonstrations are reported at I Long Bay gaol, Rydney, by prisonera ' who resent what they believe are spee- , ial privileges given to'the gaoled union otlicials. Catealls and abuse are liurled nightly at the officials and the din is so , prolonged that it lias awakAied prisoners in other seetions of the gaol. Three I of the eiglit officials are reeeiving medieal treatment and all have, been given extra blankets and supplied with slieets normally reserved for prisoners in the •'reniands and trials" section. Other prisoners in the section wherein the union leaders are lodged are not allowed sheets or extra blankets, and tliih is the main reason for the protest. A raihvay guard at Lithgow has lieen suspended bv the Railway Departmenc for refusing to work trains during the coal lift. Tio also took part in the mmers' demonstration against the coal lift. When ho reported agam for dutv ne was told none was available. The union, whirh instructed its memliers -to work all trains refuses to support his case. ! Mr Chifley said in Canberra today I that troops would not be used as cheap hibour in openeut mines. The Treasury was diseussing with the service de- . parlments wavs in which troops could j bc paid the eqnivalent of award wages for the work involved. This applied ai--o to tlie unloading of the freighter Iluiigonian Puke at Melbourne.