Beer price riots in Darwin

SYDNEY: The sensation of last week was the revolutionary development in Darwin. The trouble seems to have started with an increase in the price of beer — a development that has stirred to a mad fury the good Labourites all over the commonwealth. The hotels in the Territory are Stateowned. Recently, the Administrator (Dr Gilruth) raised the retail price of beer to cover the new tax. Thereupon Darwin went mad. The biggest body of workers there comprise the employees of Vestey Brothers’ new meat works. They held a meeting, and decided that their many grievances were more than they could bear. A procession of 400 excited men started in procession for the Administrator’s residence. There were 700 by the time they arrived. A deputation went in to interview the Administrator. Two members came out and announced that ‘‘he was the same Dr Gilruth as we have known for the past five years’’ — in other words, the big, dour Scotchman refused to be intimidated. The crowd howled its fury. At last the mob’s patience gave way, and they sent in a demand that Dr Gilruth come out and address them. He came out and told them frankly what he thought about their grievances, and said that their representations would be forwarded to the Minister, whose servant he was. The mob howled at him, rushed the fence and swarmed over it. They disarmed the constables, roughly handled the Administrator, wrecked some of the lattice windows and pulled down the end of the tennis

court. Eventually, their leaders got them under control and out of the grounds. So far, Dr Gilruth remains in charge, and the Government has made no move.