THE ERA OF EXTRAVAGANCE 287 



in all directions. The suspension of the coal supply threw scores 

 of factories idle, seriously restricted railway communication, and 

 even forced nearly 10,000 men out of work in the far away mines 

 of Broken Hill. The practical blockade of the port raised the price 

 of provisions in Melbourne, while in the country the farmer gloomily 

 saw his perishable products going to waste for want of means of 

 transport. The ocean mail service was deranged by the boycotting 

 of the steamers, and desperate efforts were made to ruin men who 

 sought to victual or coal them. It was estimated that a sum of at 

 least 2,000,000 was lost in wages by the workers throughout 

 Australia, and probably the shipping, the mercantile and the farm- 

 ing interests had to face an equal loss. 



The statement of receipts and expenditure issued by the Com- 

 mittee of Finance and Control, although it could not be persuaded to 

 balance in an accountant's sense, threw some light on the finances 

 of labour movements. The Melbourne Committee gathered in 

 altogether something over 31,000 ; of this 6,500 was cabled from 

 labour unions in England ; 3,000 was received in public donations ; 

 about 600 was made by concerts and entertainments, and the re- 

 mainder was drawn from levies on, or voluntary contributions of, 

 the various Australian labour unions. The most important of these 

 were the Amalgamated Miners' Association, 2,500 ; the Shearers' 

 Union, 1,500 ; the Typographical Society, 1,400 ; and the Boot- 

 makers' Union, 1,000. Of the total expenditure of the fund thus 

 raised, the gas stokers took one-fourth to relieve their necessities ; 

 and together with the wharf labourers, seamen, cooks and stewards, 

 carters and coal-yard employees absorbed a total of 28,000 ; some- 

 thing over 1,000 was disbursed in travelling expenses of delegates, 

 printing, advertising and petty charges ; 500 was wasted in an 

 abortive attempt to charter a coal steamer in the strikers' interest ; 

 700 was the net loss on three months' working of a so-called " Co- 

 operative Firewood Mill " ; and 200 was lost in trying to make a 

 brickyard pay on communistic principles. With the exception of 

 some 70, reported "missing," the remainder went in what the 

 report described as " indiscriminate relief," as to which the auditors 

 complained that there was no proper evidence of these disbursements, 

 totalling about 650. 



