A ' Beer ' Strike.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 12, 20 March 1902, Page 18

A ' Beer ' Strike.

In several localities in Australia recently strikes have been organised, in some cases successfully, against the price of liquor, notably beer. The workmen of Port Pirie, near Adelaide, refrained in a body from visiting the hotels until their demands wereaaceded to, and in a short time were able to record a victory all along the line. This is one of the cases in which victory is more disastrous than defeat, but nevertheless, fired with the success obtained afe Port Pirie, the miners of Kadina embarked upon a similar course of resistance to the demands of the publicans. A mass meeting was held at five o'clock on Saturday, February 22, and it was attended by between two and three hundred miners. The meeting was at first threatened with collapse, owing to the presence of some emissaries of the publicans, who attempted to create a disturbance. But one quiet-looking fellow tendered to them a recommendation to ' All they who do thenk defferent to we to lave the meetin',' and they folded their tent like the Arab and silently stole away. Then the meeting got down to business, and passed the following resolution : 'This meeting pledges itself to refrain from drinking at Kadina hotels until all drinks are reduced to prices ruling at Moonta.' A deputation of six was formed to wait upon the publicans and submit the resolution to them. At eight o'clock the meeting resumed, when the deputation reported that their mission had been abortive. The crowd quietly dispersed, determined and resolute. Groups of sober men, quietly discussing the situation, were to be seen up till 11 o'clock at night in the streets, and although the affair was at first entered into by many as a huge joke, as the evening wore on, the still empty and deserted bars and tap-rooms indicated the earnestness of the strikers. At latest advices the strike had not terminated but there could be no doubt of the result if the strikers remained united. Perhaps, and this might be earnestly desired, the ' strike ' might last long enough to teach the miners that they would be much better off without the liquor, and convince them that under the circumstances it would be too dear at any price.