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» Anonymous Payment of
Union Leaders' Pines
) BRISBANE, Thursday. — High Govermnent
authorities have no doubt that the money which
paid the fines and released Michael Healy, secretary
of the Trades and Labour Council: Max H. Julius,
barrister; and E. C. Englart, State secretary of the
Waterside Workers' Federation, from Brisbane
Prison this morning, came from Communist sources.
The imcn had been com
mitted to prison on August 4
for failure to pay fines and
. penalties for breaches of the
anti-pickcting laws. Their re
lease followed the finding of a
foolscap envelope addressed to
the Attorney-General which
had been left on the counter
of the central inquiry bureau
at the main entrance to the
Treasury Buildings.' An attend-
ant found the envelope when
he arrived on duty at -8.45
o'clock, and It was handed to
the Attorney-General. In it
was £330 in £10 notes with an
anonymous letter stating tiiat
the money was for payment of
the fines of the three men.
The letter added: "Let these
men so back to their families.
The money will not do tho
Government any good, any
way."
Tho Attorney-General (Mr.
Gledson) was then a very sick
man awaiting transport to his
homo at Ipswich after having
collapsed earlier at Parliament
House.
& When the money was lodged
W with the Gaol Superintendent
(Mr. O'Connor) Englart, Healy,
and Julius were Immediately
paraded before him. They were
told their fines had been paid
and they would be released.
Gaol officials checked the
amount of money. They then
calculated the amount of tha
fines owing. These had been
reduced from the original
amount by the 16 days served
In gaol. They found that the
£350 covered the amount of the
fines still due and loft a few
shillings to spare.
The moil were released un
noticed at 11.30 o'clock, and
went to tho Trades Hall and
had a meal of chicken.
TRADES HALL SURPRISE
The acting seccrctary of the
Trades and Labour Council
(Mr. R. Brown) said to-night
the fines were not paid by the
Trade Union movement.
Joseph Esler and Charles
Graham, who also have been
imprisoned ror antl-plcketing
offences, are still in gaol, The
anonymous letter did not con
tain any money for their re
lease.
MELBOURNE, Thursday. —
The .Australian Council ol
Trades Unions did not know
who paid the fines which re
leased the three Brisbane
union leaders, the president
(Mr. E. Olarey) said to-night)
"The A/O.T.u. certainly did not
pay them," he added. "We are
as much surprised as anybody.
Tho release of the men has
naturally cleared up a lot of
tension."
SYDNEY, Thursday. — The
Federal Secretary of the
Waterside Workers' Federation
(Mr. j. Healy) said to-night
his union did not pay the fines.
A moss meeting of the union
had decided that the fines be
not paid.
$