The Bushmen Roused to Action

*THE WORKER* 
Brisbane, February 21, 1891

Several developments have taken place in connection with the bush struggle. On Tuesday, 11^th instant, about 150 blacklegs arrived at Rockhampton in the Derwent, and were escorted to the train by a strong body of armed police. Twenty-eight constables accompanied the Southerners to the West, where they were drafted to Logan Downs, Gordon Downs, Arcturus Downs, and Ravensworth Stations, At Clermont the non-unionists nearly came to grief owing to the abstraction of the linch pins from the squatters' waggons, which was not discovered until the order for starting had been given. At the last moment a couple of the men decided to forswear the business of blacklegging and threw in their lot with the white men.

On Sunday last an enthusiastic mass meeting of unionists was held in the scrub near Barcaldine. Rousing speeches were made, and it was decided to discontinue the policy of inactivity pursued hitherto. Accordingly 200 horseman started for Clermont to strengthen the union camp there, with a view to taking steps to induce the blacklegs on the surrounding stations to stop work. Brisbane dailies say the unionists announced their intention of carrying the blacklegs off by force if necessary, and are well supplied with arms and ammunition.

The newspapers, who never said one word against the squatters' reduction of wages, the introduction of foreign labour, or the placing of the police under the control of the Pastoralists' Association, have raised a tremendous howl against this new departure, the Brisbane dailies advocating the arrest of all union officials. Of course everybody expected that the western men would show the utmost respect for the laws in whose making they had no voice, and whose administration rests entirely in the hands of the class which is now combined to crush the workers. The police guards on the several blacklegs stations are to be reinforced by men drawn from all parts of the colony, and it is talked of sending the Permanent Force to make a demonstration with Gatlings and Nordenfelts, so as to install a proper " respect " for the Law into all unionists who are not prepared to remain quietly in camp while their places are filled by the scum of the other colonies.