Miners' Board Rejects Call For Mass Meetings

Chronicle (Levin), 5 August 1949, Page 5

Miners' Board Rejects Call For Mass Meetings

Received Fridav, 11.30 a.m. SYDNEY, Aug. 5. The rejection by the Northern j Miners' Management Board of a motion by the lodge representa+ives that aggregate meetings should be held marks the first occasion in Australia that a management board has rejectetf a decision by a body directly representing the miners' lodges. Officials said a'fterwards that the Communist line taken hy the management board could be accepted as an indication of the treatment which the conference representation would receive from the central council of the Miners' Federation. All six men on the Northern Management Board who voted against the five moderates for the rejection of the recommendatiofi were

Communists or Communists sympathisers. The central councij is not bound to accept the decisions of the northern delegates' conference and recent actions of the council -have revealed that the militants control it -by nine to six. Some lodge officers think that the central council may authorise the meetings, but that in that event the men will be asked to vote for a continuation of the strike. Many unionists expect tfiat aggregate meetings will be 'held next Tuesday. Troous Step Up Production. Meanwhile, troops are stepping up open cut production in New South Wales. Industrial and domestic power restrictions have been pased anfi between 75,000 and 119,000 people at present unemployed are preparjng to resume work wlthin ten days.