MINERS BELLIGERENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 868, 11 January 1930, Page 9

MINERS BELLIGERENT

NON-UNIONISTS STRIPPED AND DRIVEN TO BUSH AVOID CLASH WITH POLICE United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 10.10 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. Fears of serious trouble ou the Northern coalfields have been dispelled by the miners avoiding conflict with the police. All was quiet on the fields last evening. Nearly all the ineu returned home. In addition to the two mentioned yesterday, four other men were stripped by a mob of miners and subjected to the same treatment. Earlier messages from the coalfield describe hostile demonstrations by the miners. 4,000 of whom at dawn marched to the Ashton Fields colliery. They encountered two non-union miners going to work. Both men were stripped naked aud their clothes burned. They were then pursued iuto the bush by the jeering crowd. Four others were caught later and similarly treated. A large proportion of the strikers then commenced to march to Rothburv, which was not, however, reached, and they all returned to their homes. Mounted troopers dispersed a number of hot heads who were behaving offensively near the Ashton Fields colliery. More than 300 returned soldiers marched at the head of this morning's procession and sang war songs. They drilled in the most approved, military fashion and hooted the police. The situation at Kurri Kurri, Rothbury and Maitland is extremely tense. After a special meeting of Cabinet today the Premier, Mr. T. R. Bavin, said the Government w r as fully alive to the grave danger to life arising from this morning's developments. He emphasised that at ajl costs life and property would be protected, and added: “We shall not be deflected In the slightest degree from our purpose by any actual or threatened violence.” CONFERENCE WITH OWNERS NEW LOG FOR THE MEN MELBOURNE, Friday. Chief Justice Dethxidgc. In the Federal Arbitration Court today, granted the application by the Coal Miners’ Federation for a compulsory conference with the owners regarding the miners’ new log. The conference was fixed for January 20.