N.S.W. COAL TROUBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1930, Page 6

N.S.W. COAL TROUBLE

MINERS FINED.

(Australian Press Association)

SYDNEY, Feb. 8

Eleven miners were convicted of participating in an unlawful assembly at Aberdaro on January loth and fined £lO each. Four were lined £5 and seventy others £3.

JJEERi BAN LIFTED

SYDNEY, Feb. 9

Hot weather prevailed yesterday, and it made the beer “white” in the Cessnock Hotels. The idle miners wlxo have been declaring the bars all “black” for a month past, yesterday apparently became colour blind, and the bartenders had an exceedingly busy time, when the ban was unofficially raised, and the men, who had been unwilling prohibitionists, set to work to drink up the arrears. Meanwhile the Cessnock municipal authorities have just completed the installation of drinking places in the main street. These, strangely enough, stand opposite to the hotels, but they only supply water an dnow that is not wanted.

STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL,

OF N.S.W. MINERS

COMMUNISTS v. MODERATES

SYDNEY, February 9

It is reported that Communists emissaries are making final and desperate efforts to secure a supremacy on the minefields and to gain control of a big aggregate meeting which is being held on Tuesday.

But moderates, however, are said to he concerting an opposition to the “Reds” whose promise of financial aid for the miners if they showed fight has not been fulfilled.

Fines of between five and six hundred pounds sterling have been imposed on the miners as the result of the recent disturbances, but not one penny of “Rod” money thus 'far has been forthcoming.

The Miners’ Federation will not pay the fines, because the Federation did not countenance any of the mass demonstrations.

The only hope that the convicted men who number about one hundred have of escaping gaol is that the Communists will honour their promise to pay, but the feeling, prevails that they will repudiate their promise. Jf the extremists fail to rush the aggregate meeting, their influence is expected to wane rapidly. There is a growing body of moderate opinion among the miners in favour of a settlement.

A statement had been published that the miners intended officially to advise the Federal Government to-day of their bedrock terms for a compromise, but the Miners’ Federation secretary,' M.r Davies, denies any knowledge of this. Mr A. Wood, the delegate from the New Zealand United Mine workers’ Association, says that the Dominion miners will pay a levey of three and three quarters per cent, of their earnings towards the relief of t’ New South Wales miners. COAL MINERS RESUMING. (Received this day at 9.40 a.m.) (SYDNEY, Feb. 10. It is understood that fifty men at several Newcastle district collieries affected by last month’s disturbances, resume work to-day under instructions to remain, despite any attempted picketing.