Feb. 9th 1918
Mr Alex McCallum, sec. ALF Perth
Dear Sir
It is with regret that I am bringing my case under your notice again. You are aware of the prosecution of us workers on the late conspiracy charge. That was bad enough, and perhaps those monstrosities that parade around in the garb of human beings, may have been forgiven for their ignorance, had they not continued to carry on their carnivorous acts, since the case has been dealt with. I arrived back here from Perth 3 weeks ago, and have been chasing around the Golden Mile looking for work ever since but have been unsuccessful, and can come to one conclusion, & that is, that I am on the black list. The underground manager of the Ivanhoe (where I was working as a trucker when arrested) told me a couple of days ago, that he didn't refuse any man work, but he was full up at present & couldn't put me on. The day before this when I asked him for a start, he said he was full up. I then went away, but had occasion to come past the office again, about 10 minutes later, and met a Russian chap that I knew fairly well, & and he told me that he had just secured a job as a trucker. I also know two other men who were put on, having been following up for only two or three days, while I have been following up continuously since I came back. It is well known that there is a black list on these mines, but owing to the nature of the work, it is hard to detect when it is applied to anyone. A blacklisted man may secure a job in a contract under an assumed name, but as soon as he is detected, the contract ceases, for a day or two, when a new crowd (or perhaps some of the old ones) will start again in the same place.
I can tell you that they have got me hard up against it. I haven't earned a penny since Nov. 8th the day of my arrest. I have a wife and six little kiddies to keep. My eldest child is a girl 11 years of age. The others range from six years down to six months. This is a nice position for a man to be in, who has been nothing else but a working bullock all his life. Even in the court one of my former bosses threw a bouquet at me, saying that I was a good worker. What more do they want? I have every confidence in you in doing your best for us chaps but I thought I could do no harm in letting you know how I stand now. I am in need of finances, but I would sooner get them from those that took away the little bit of liberty I possessed and caused the present position that I am in, rather than take them from my workmates who can ill afford to give. Trusting that you will bring the required pressure to bear in the right place.
I remain
Yours Fraternally
R. Yates
(Source: Layman, Lenore & Goddard, Julian, Organise! Labour: A Visual Record, p.145)
