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MINERS WORK 100
PITS IN N.S.W.
I High Production For
I Week Expected
SEAMEN AGREE TO MAN
COAL SHIPS
From "The Age" Special Representative
;1 SYDNEY, Monday. — Twelve thousand coal miners, who returned
I to work to-day in more than 100 N.S.W. pits, produced about 40,000
ji tons of coal. At this rate this week's target of 150,000 tons will be
'I achieved easily.
:l Three thousand miners who. did not return for work were largely
il occounted for By the fact that six ..State collieries remained closed—
five in the south, and one in the, north/
; Seamen decided to-day to return-to work and.to,man coal ships. Newcastle seamen
I opposed resumption by 11 1 votes to 103; but elsewhere .;in 1 Australia the decision to
return to work was almost unanimous.
I Two colliers will load coal
.1 for Melbourne to-morrow, it
I was announced from New-
8 castle late to-night. They
8 are the Era (5000 tons) and
the Kooiiga (3200. tons).
8 This is the first consign-
B ment of the approximate
B tonnage of 30,000 which has
B been allotted Victoria. These .
fl colliers should reach Mel- '
B bourne at the end of : the ,
fl week.
fl Trade union leaders and em-
B ployers, who are watching the
position closely, are not ; optimis-.
fl tic about the future. To-night
8 they pointed to the fact that coal
8 miners and seamen living- along-.
. 8 side the striking iroii workers are
8 in no mood for conciliation. Yes-
I terday southern coal miners "i-e-
jected the A.C.T.U. recommenda-
B tion for resumption, 1 and New-
:B castle seamen to-day followed
B suit.
. « . The federal president of the
: Seamen's Union (Mr.. R. Frank-
8 tin) said in Newcastle to-night
B that although .the seamen had
fl decided to return to work, they
IB did so knowing that their prob-
'B ie'ms still required a. solution;
8 Chief of thece is the 25 per cent.
:fl war bonus, which they may soon
fl lose. They argue that for the pur-
8 poses of this bonus war conditions
fl continue throughout the world.
They claim they -have adjusted
their domestic economy, in ac
cordance wjth the increase/ and
that if they- be deprived- of 'it',
they will. suffer great hardship.
Astonishing Apeiihy
The apathy of .the coal miners,
as revealed yesterday- in jtheVpoor
attendance"; at aggregate meet
ings, has amazed Sydney '-.union
officials. :' They made it . plain
to-dayvtha t their fight: to ensure,
that the A:C,T.U. shall be.:ack-'
nowledgcd as the supreme - par./
liament in '.the: Trade." -Union
movement will be intensified.
They admit . that in the recent
strike negotiations many attempts:
were made to defy- it.: -They /urge
that, all steps should - be taken
to ensure that the decisions of
the - AiC.T.U; > shall ' be- obeyed
implicit',' arid plans 'already have
been formulated to nominate
A.L.P. . supporters -to oppose , ex
tremists at: all: future union elec
tions;.-,''.
' They deplore the fact that
most of the offices have been
filled for the ensuing 12
months. and claim that many
of the ' successful . candidates
would - hot have polled so well
if the strike had preceded the
ballot.
An interesting highlight of the
big strike has been the keen in
terest of numbers of workers In
trade : unionism, and many, offi
cials, report enrolment of, new
members. They, say these new
comers Are keen to know the
functions of the: unions, the
methods : of electing ' officials : and
the,--". political: .classification yof
those now in office. Several of
these inquirers are 'reported , to
be ex-servicemen, who have never
been; in. the Trades Hall before.
Regular union - meetings may be
much better, attended in future. '
Decision Defied
y .Miners at Wonga Willi', Bulli
and Mount Kiera refused to work
to-day - in accordance, with the
A.C.T.U. instruction. Two other
southern mines— -South Bulli and
Corrimal-M-em'ained closed, . the
miners deciding to defy the de
cision to resume. ; Caldare open
cut, on: the northern- coal fields,
was idle to-day because bull
dozer drivers did . not. report for
duty. . .-
Estimated total loss from the six
mines is. 5750 tons a day.
The president of the N.S.W.
Trades and Labor Council (Mr.
Guy Anderson) urged to-night
- that New South Wales should
have priority in the supply of
coal because it had the severest
rationing. He believed that
even inferior coal should be used
to augment New South Wales
supplies.
I LAG IN RE-EMPLOYMENT
I A spokesman for thc.i Emf»J|oyors' FeoruHon estimated to-nigi;! t!t2?f v.i!\ would be
I the middle of February before those unemployed' as a result of the "coal, steel and
I shipping strikes were back in normal employment.
I. The miners' decision to return
to work to-day cut down the
fl overall unemployed by 50,000. It
affected engine drivers,/ railway-
8 men, carriers, waterside workers
8 and others ancilliary to mining.
8 The spokesman said about
8 450,000 were still out of -work hi
8 New South Wales, but some of
8' them would be working ' again
8 in January. -".
I Although there is. a Christmas
I buying rush, many, firms are
I ' standing down employes as they
8 have not the goods to sell. .
I Food authorities say. that Syd-
I ney should not go short of food
8 for Christmas despite the strike,
but that most of it will come
I from the smallgoods shops.
I Shipping Position
I. A procession of colliers from
I Sydney is expected to reach
I Newcastle to-morrow morning.
B One of the 17 ships which have
I been idle at Newcastle has al-
I ready commenced 'loading. Three
I ships will load 21,000 tons for Ade-
I laide to-morrow. The first of the
I Sydney-Newcastle colliers was re-
I ported to have arrived in New-
I castle late to-night, and will load
I coa) for Sydney gas companies,
il About 1400 tons left Newcastle
I by rail to-day for Bunnerong and
I White Bay power stations, in
8 Sydney. -
I South Australia will get its sup-
1. ply from the B.H.P. ship Iron
:B Duke, which will deliver 7000 tons
-I; to Port Pirie;- the Baron Mac-
: Jean, which will take 8000 tons
;B to Adelaide, and the /Eon,, which
;B will load a further 6000 tons for
1- Port Pirie.
I. The Iron Duke is the only one
I! of the 17 ships held up as a re-
suit of the strike that was cleared
I to-day by the Newcastle disputes
:8 committee. Ten other B.H.P. ves-
i I ore still tied up at the com-
pany's wharf. There is every in
dication that some of these will
be declared "white" by the Sea
men's Union.
Mr. Franklin,", seamen's presir
dent, said to-night that if the
ships were trimmed the seamen
would take them over as "white"
ships. They arrived before or dur
ing .the strike with "cargoes of
iron ore; which they succeeded in
discharging. ,
In /addition to ' :these vessels
four Greek ships and a Yugoslav
vessel, which became involved in
the dispute when . their crews
struck . in sympathy with the
steel workers, are still held up in
Newcastle harbor awaiting an op
portunity to discharge iron ore.
EX-PRISONERS PREFER DEATH TO GERMANY: Swedish policemen carrying one of the prisoners, who refused to walk, ' to the train. When the evacuation of German military re fugees -commenced there were many cases of suicide and self- mutilation. Swedish police had to use force when the an nouncement was made. Help
EX-PRISONERS PREFER DEATH TO GERMANY: Swedish
policemen carrying one of the prisoners, who refused to walk, '
to the train. When the evacuation of German military re
fugees -commenced there were many cases of suicide and self-
mutilation. Swedish police had to use force when the an
nouncement was made.
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