Melbourne, Dec. 21, The inability of the Federal and the New South Wales Governments to secure an agreement between the New South Wales miners and colliery owners resulted in a serious conflict between police and miners on December 16. In this clash, one miner, Norman Brown, aged 28, of Greta' was shot in the groin and Gied while being conveyed to the hospital. Eight other miners and four members of the police force were injured, The riot took -place at the Rothbury Colliery, where the State Government had attempted to re-open the mine with free labour. A mob of more than 5,000 miners, with their supporters, stormed the mine entrance and hurled stones and bricks. The policemen were compelled to draw their revolvers. After the tragic shooting, which caused a wave of horror to obsess the crowd, the mob became incensed and vented their fury upon pressmen and press Photographers, in the latter case destroying the negatives. Moderate methods were preach Tenders and Labour Members of Parliament and a more sensible "frame of mind pervaded the miners when they drifted off to their homes quietly, Tt is many years since the mining industry of "Australia has been affected by such a tragedy as that. at Rothbury. The blame for it has, not unprecedentedly, been placed at the door of the New South Wales State ministry by the Labour Government of the Australian Commonwealth. State memders have placed the blame upon the shoulders of Mx. W. M. Hughes of Federal fame for some action which he took nearly twenty years ago, In fact, every heighbeur is being blamed' for the tragic state of affairs and everybody trusts. to pla ame upon someone else. The true state of the matter is that the State Government interfered and the Federal Government has interfered. 'The State Government being Nationalist and the Federal Government Labour they naturally do not see eye to eye with each other. 'This does not. of course justify Mr. Scullin, the Prime Minister, in accusing' the State Ministry of forcing the is by means of introducing free Andou at the Rothbury mine, The two ministries are swom to uphold Jw and order in their own respective spheres and for the two to be quarrelling instead of working harmoniously together "for the country's good is ridiculous, undignified and neglect of duty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.