"HOLD UP" OF AN OPERA.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1920, Page 3

"HOLD UP" OF AN OPERA.

b TRIKE INCIDENT IN FORT DARWIN.

SYDNEY, August 4. The reducio ad absurdum in strike incidents appears to have been readied in Darwin last evening. Port Darwin although only a tiny place, has the honour of being the capital of the Northern Territory, and shares with Broken Hill a great reputation for aggressive Bolshevism. The Darwin unions recently started a boycott against the Darwin newsi paper. They did not like its opinions, in the first place and they became annoyed when the editor-proprietor practically told them that he would run his journal as he pleased. When the editor, on account to shortage of work and grave difficulties created by insufficient paper, dismissed two of his hands, the unions felt that fTlc time for action had arrived. Ho was ordered to reinstate the men; and when ho very forcibly told the union bosses that they might go to distant country with an unsavoury reputation, it was decided that the paper must be boycotted. In l and all things associated with it, was declared “black”; anyone reading tho paper, or having business deals with the proprietor, was to be a “scab.” Any business man advertising in the paper was to be boycotted. However, tho Darwin business-people refused to lie cowed by this land of Prussianism and the editor is doing quite well. He asserts that the boycott is a. blessing—-ho has lost all his most undesirable customers. Last night the opera “The Mikado” was being staged by the local Choral Society. Lieutenants Parer and McIntosh, just arrived, were the society’s guests. Everyone was in a festive mood, the hall decorated, the curtain ready to go up—when it was discovered that the man who was to play : :Nanki Poo” had not arrived. Urgent enquiries and the gentleman stated that he did not intend to play. The Choral Society, heUsnid was “black”—it had had its tickets printed at the boycotted printing office. An attempt was made to show him what an idiot ho was making of himself, but he was ainong a congregatoin of militants who were laudin him os a hero and he maintained his attitude. So, as there was no one elso ready to take the part, the performance had to be abandoned, and the large number of people who bad paid for admission—the show was in aid of a re turned soldier-had theor money returned to them.