Miners Arming Quietly

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 853, 23 December 1929, Page 9

Miners Arming Quietly

ALLEGATION BY NEWSPAPER Scullin Calls For Peace ABORTIVE CONFERENCE AT SYDNEY United P.A.—By Telegraph CopyriyJit Received 11 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. FE Prime Minister, Mr. J. H. Scullin, in a plea for peace in the coalfields, said a strong effort would be made to end the dispute before Christmas. ‘'Let the Christmas spirit prevail on all sides, and I am confident a settlement will be reached/’ he said.

The “Herald" says that at Saturday’s conference it was disclosed that miners were quietly arming themselves, against the advice of their leaders, to revisit Rothbury and avenge the death of the miner who was hilled during the riots. Mr. Scullin was asked to commandeer Rothbury immediately, in order to avert further bloodshed. All the powder, gelignite, ammunition, and other explosives at the Northern mines are being removed and taken to Newcastle. An “inside" story of Saturday’s conference at which the Prime Minister presided, reveals the fact that the parties were on the verge of settling the dispute when the miners’ delegates, themselves anxious for some form of compromise, declined resolutely to make such a suggestion to the miners on the coalfields. They reluctantly told the members of the Federal Cabinet that they must “beard the lion in his den" for they (the delegates) were not prepared to do so, as they had already had their lesson. Therefore nothing practical came of the conference. However, the Prime Minister and his colleagues, including the Federal Attorney-General, Mr. F. Brennan, are to resume the conversations with the miners’ delegates today. Among the suggestions made at the conference was one that the Federal Government should seize the mines, pay the miners 4s a ton subsidy on all coal hewn, in addition to sustenance, and if necessary use the Crimes Act and the military forces. Mr. Scullin, in replying, said the proposals were unconstitutional and impracticable, nor was the Senate likely to agree. He gave his hearers to understand that he would not call upon the soldiers either to defend or to attack in any industrial dispute. Mr. J. T. Lang, Leader of the Opposi-

tion in the New South Wales Parliament, who was responsible tor the suggestion that the mines should be seized, said his plan would be to act first and legislate afterward. Near the end of the conference the Premier of New South Wales, Mr. T. R. Bavin, and Mr. McDonald, chairman of the Northern Collieries Association, were sent for. In a conciliatory spirit they did their best to find a basis for settling the dispute, which is agitating the whole of Australia in an alarming manner. All the coalmines in southern and western New South Wales, which have been working at high pressure since the dispute began last March, have been closed down for Christmas and the New Year holidays, which means that the coal reserves for the railways and gasworks will be seriously depleted within a few days. STATE’S LEGAL FIGHT The New South Wales Government took steps to test Mr. Justice Beeby’s order for the reopening of the mines on Saturday at the former rates of pay. Application was made to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Sir Adrian Knox, for a summons to compel the parties to the coalmines dispute to appear before the High Court, in order to determine the validity of the judge’s order. The matter will come before the High Court today. Meanwhile the Government will not proceed with its plans to reopen additional mines with free labour. The Premier, Mr. T. R. Bavin, announces that the Government intends to continue operations at Rothbury colliery until the High Court gives its ruling as to the legality of the Government’s action.