PANDEMONIUM REIGNS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 593, 20 February 1929, Page 9

PANDEMONIUM REIGNS

SYDNEY PEACE PARLEY INTERRUPTED LABOUR MEN WITHDRAWN "(United P.A. — By Telegraph — Copyright) SYDNEY, Tuesday. The conference called with the object of devising plans for the maintenance of peace in industry assembled in the Sydney Town Hall today. Sir Wallace Bruce presided. A stir was caused when Mr. Norman Jeffreys, of the New South Wales Labour Council, and Mr. D. Davis', delegate from the Miners’ Federation, announced their intention of withdrawing. Before they left the hall they handed in type-written statements, giving the reasons for their action.

Mr. James MacDougal, leader of the employers’ delegation, intimated at the outset that he had been authorised publicly to pledge every member of that delegation to a policy of patience and reason. He expressed a hope that the conference-would be able to formulate practical recommendations for the guidance of the Commonwealth Government which had asked for them. Mr. MacDougal said he regretted the absence of many representative Labour delegates, the absentees including representatives of the Australian Workers* Union. At the conclusion of Mr. MacDougal’s speech pandemonium reigned owing to wholesale interjections from unemployed men in the galleries. “Fools,” “boodlers,” “loafers,” shouted several of these men to the delegates sitting below. Particularly insulting exclamations were shouted at Mr. C. McDonald, chairman of the . Northern Collieries’ Association. The police were summoned and removed the interjectors. The conference then settled down j to a discussion of industrial problems. j