The Digger No.22 September 1973

Bob Dylan’s surprise new album -a preview

— by A. J. Weberman, page 3.

ISSUE NO. 22 SEPTEMBER 8 — OCTOBER 6, 1973 30 CENTS

's G A Y P R ID E w e e k Camp has become Gay and unafraid.

In the centre pages.

Vibe photos For about $50 you can build an environment in which to photograph “auras” inside and around living bodies.

Page 5.

A Sydney cop who dropped out. This Issue: Part 1, in which Mere joins up and learns.

Page 9.

i g

institutions Hall Greenland reports on cripples moving for selfdetermination.

Page 4.

Bob Thorneycroft, dancer, one half of the Bob and Joe Show at Melbourne's Pram Factory Theatre.

BLANK PAGE FOR ISSUU VERSION ONLY

Page 1 Two wise coroners Notes from the Collective:

Three dead, no evil seen

Digger’s unrest Last month the South Australian Parole Board said it would let Rupert Max Stuart out of jail. Stuart was convicted of raping and killing a 14-year-old girl in 1958 and was I saved from hanging by protests from people who claimed he was the victim of racist prejudgement — Stuart is Aboriginal, j In issue number 1, The Digger j ran the interview with Stuart, by Sydney journalist Noela McMahon, that revived public interest in his fate.

After an extraordinary delay of seven months since Nancy Lindsay was found dead in her bed at Melbourne’s Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital, ostensibly strangled by another violent female patient, the Melbourne City Coroner began his inquest on her on the Tuesday before last.

Digger has followed the case since the outset, giving it publicity that has annoyed Mental Health authorities — if for no other reason than it reveals staggering deficiencies in the depart­ ment’s administration and staffing and facilities.

The original story of her death (Digger number 16) described how a severely disturbed, violent, schizop­ hrenic, middle-aged woman was admitted to Royal Park and left under light sedation in an unlocked room down the hall from Nancy Lindsay.

The police report of the incident, in which it seems the woman wandered into Nancy’s :room and tried to strangle her, and which had originally (and correctly) stated that a woman had been found dead in Adey ward, was later doctored.

It then read that the woman’s body was found in the grounds of the hospital.

Having got the body out of the hospital, the staff at Royal Park were told by their superiors not to discuss the case with anyone, even each other, and the State Psychiatrist’s Association held a committee meet­ ing at which it was decided the case should not be allowed to come to public notice.

They might not be attempting a cover-up or a white-wash job, but they have conducted a small witch-hunt for the people who talked to Digger. They have refused to talk to journalists under the hoary old pretext of sub judice. The police have given misleading information.

And there has been this absurdly long delay on what they would have people believe was a straight-forward heart attack.

But if the delay has been extraordinary, it had nothing on the inquest — which is still on, having been adjourned to a date to be fixed.

The police arrived with five witnesses and plastic bags of clothing and seemed prepared to go through ali the motions., But Coroner Harry Pascoe, SM, wasn’t having it.

As detective sergeant Jim Fry turned to call his first witness, Pascoe told him very firmly that he wanted to hear from Dr McNamara first.

McNamara had performed the autopsy.

This was the Coroner’s preroga­ tive, because at coronial inquiries,

the Coroner calls the witnesses.

McNamara gave evidence that Nancy Lindsay’s body had two tiny abrasions on the neck and evidence of a massive blockage of a coronary artery.

Cause of death: heart attack.

Had it not been for the presence of a barrister —Peter Faris from the Fitzroy Free Legal Service — briefed to appear on behalf of Nancy Lindsay’s husband, that would have been the stone end of it.

Instead, Faris extracted the most tortuous admissions from McNamara that there was perfectly reasonable inference that Nancy Lindsay had a heart attack directly caused by terror, or pressure on the carotid synus — both resulting in inhibition of the vagal nerve which kicks the heart out of step. This was consistent with the anatomical condition of her heart. Given that, (necessarily — like she’s dead and buried and we have to take the doctor’s word) it is obvious that ■anything that caused undue activity of her heart 'could have caused a coronary.

Then, incredibly, as soon as*Faris was through with McNamara, Pascoe ignored Sgt Fry’s call for the next witness and told Faris that he had better call “these experts who have given you all this information.”

As far as he was concerned, Pascoe said, it was one of 2000 deaths by natural causes that he handles every year and he could see no point in taking the inquiry any further.

Faris argued. He had what he wanted from McNamara, didn’t Jiavp any experts and wasn’t going to pay a specialist to copie because his client couldn’t afford it. Pascoe was insistent. He wanted proof of the unproveable.

Of* course, he had the power to overrule Faris completely, but when Faris would not be shaken, Pascoe changed course. “Well, Mr Faris,” he said, “If you won’t call (hem, / will, ” and adjourned to a date to be fixed.

It seemed quite obvious . that Faris’ appearance caught everybody by surprise. Just as obviously, Nancy Lindsay’s death would have been dismissed in five minutes if a barrister had not appeared.

As it was, information that another inmate had been seen kneeling on her chest'pressing down

LETTERS

Address to: P.O. Box 77, Carlton, Vic. 3053

to notice the pestilence of sadness which the “yanquis” bring when they come to set up the banana plantations; nor the crowd massacre in the central plaza at high noon, which is then so roundly denied, and for so many years, that at last the families of the deceased are Many thanks for Kate Veitch’s convinced they must have dreamed sympathetic review of 6arcia Mar­ it all, and dreamed also the silent quez’ Hundred Years o f Solitude. ghostly convoy of trucks whick took However, there is one aspect of the bodies that night to dump them Kate’s review which I think ought in the sea. These events haunt the to be clarified. The book is de- jI nightmares of the villagers for gene­ scribed as being “not of the kind rations, and are connected with the which is offensive to North American great fiery wind that finally blows interests” . Garcia’s calm rhythms, the village to oblivion.

Garcia’s writing is not fantasy. and the surreal atmosphere of the narrative can be deceptive, it’s true, It comes out of the traditional and a Time reviewer might very well Spanish picaresque way of feeling slide through a reading of the novel and of telling things, in which realism with no more than two or three j| shades off into fable. To Latin Americans, who have accepted this pleasantly erotic pangs of conscience.

But Latin American readers are a book as the epic of their civilisation, wide-awake and subtle breed. You it is revolutionary in many senses can be sure that they haven’t failed (certainly including the political

M arquez and Yanquis

* * * On this page are three reports of decisions by government employees — city coroners — that we hope will maintain the heat on the men who dispense such perverse justice. * * *

on her face and neck with both necessary t o . ask how Duncan got hands only came .out ip cross- into the water, or what condition examination of McNamara by Faris. he was‘in when he got there. The The public might well never have policemen questioned about Duncan’s known, which was thè idea until this death refused to give evidence and big, polite, hairy bastard starts asking have left the force. Duncan’s case questions tjiat weren’t in the script. is closed.

The most startling aspect was left | to last. Just as the court was about to j Coroner Cleland more recently get up, Dr Barlow, the super- j announced that Nigel Kreiser, a 23intendent of Larundal Mental Hospi­ year-old patient at Glenside mental tal, jumped to Ms feet and without hospital in Adelaide, died last De­ identifying Mmself, said that 4iis cember of an overdose of drugs. patient, who was associated 'with the Inquiries were not made about case, was being held in hospital at how Kreiser, a drug addict, had police request long after it was good got hold of the half a cup of chloryl for her, and that her job was in hydrate which, on top of four eodijeopardy. Pascoe told Mm he could phen, killed him — chloryl hydrate being a drug Kreiser was supposed discharge her.

It will probably be November to have stopped receiving for treat­ ment nine days before he died. before the case is heard again.

Coroners not only despatch dicey cases with high-handed haste, but give verdicts which reflect their own idiosyncratic world-views.

Adelaide’s City Coroner, T. E. Cleland, last year pronounced that Dr. George Duncan, the homosexual who was killed by policemen, died of drowning. It was not thought

sense). Enormous passion is in those care fully-made lines.

Of course, “literature” , even the well-advertised “ committed” sort, just about never gets anybody off their bum. Garcia Marquez’ work is an exception.

Ken Willing, El wood, Vic.

Mackieis art Look here: I hope to hell you haven’t ditched McCausland’s Ocker&-his-mates-etc. strip from your back pages because of what Ponch Hawkes and WL friends said about his being sexist! That man does the best graphics in Australia bar none and his work is always wonderful.

I suspect you’re making that old art/propaganda distinction which is ieally no distinction at all, fuck you.

So please get Ian McCausland back pretty quick: he’s too good to fall victim to this Crusading New Puritanism.

Otherwise, I like your paper.

Paul Paech, On Dit, University o f Adelaide.

Ian McCausland has not been ditched. Yes, his graphic art is great.

Ex-patient Robin Grosvenor claims that drug addicts have little trouble getting drugs at Glenside, either from outside or by pressuring or tricking nurses into giving extra medi­ cation. Grosvenor himself was un­ conscious from an overdose at the time of Kreiser’s death. Both men were hosed down by nurses when their bodies were found. Grosvenor survived.

Glenside Medical Superintendent Dr. C. H. Manock criticised the fact that it took staff 35 minutes, after finding Kreiser’s body,, to call a doctor; Manock said valuable time had been wasted by nurses who hosed Kreiser down instead of ex­ amining him.

No further inquiries are to be made into Kreiser’s death. Accord­ ing to the Coroner, it was a simple overdose.

Last month Melbourne’s Coroner Harry Pascoe dismissed murder charges against three men and a woman who, detectives said, had admitted beating to death 18-year-old Carol Baglin with whom they shared a house. The defendants gave evidence that Baglin was “a nymphomaniac” , and said they were in the habit of beating her, often for hours at a time, to “cure her of her lust” .

This lust, they claimed, expressed itself in the form of sexual thoughts about people and household objects.

In dismissing the murder charges, Pascoe said, “ There was no evidence of malice. Everything was done with the highest of motives.” He commit­ ted the defendants for trial on man­ slaughter charges.

We hope to feature his work again, one will say, ‘wrap him up in a and again. Mackie's freelance commit­ blanket and bring him up to the ments, our lean coffers, and the surgery’” (that is if he is there). strains o f flashing sensibilities among Well, he is there so you take him to long-standing friends mean the back the waiting room foolishly hoping page has become anybody's to sub­ that you will be ushered straight in. mit to.

But no, the waiting room is full Whatever the “old art/propaganda and you wait your turn. After “ God distinction" might be, we reserve knows how many patients, he’ll win the right to select copy and graphics j Jimmy’s confidence . . . if you’re that aren't propaganda for our lucky.” A quick runover with the stethoscope, a temperature reading enemies. We asked Mackie to send (classified information), eyes in­ his Porn Scorn cartoon direct to the printer — for time reasons —and spected and a request for syrrptoms, thereby by-passed the option o f takes five minutes. You emerge with the words “ Probably a virus, wait majority veto. and see” echoing in your ears, four New Puritanism? Horseshit. | dollars fifty less in your pocket, a I prescription for antibiotics in your I hand, and a sick, tired, grizzling child in your arms. This is theway> it i is now, Dr. Yuille, we have no need | to wait for “ Billy and Gough to have their way.”

The last 23 years of Liberal government has left you with a I would suggest to Dr. Yuille system which has no relevance to (Digger, Aug. 11-25) that the only the urban sprawl. It is of no use reason government health schemes to threaten us with malingerers, have any chance of acceptance is 1.35% tax, etc. Freedom from fear, that the average family has not been security whilst ill and preventative satisfied for many years with the medicine will compensate for any services provided. money loss; and as for the personal Using Dr. Yuille’s analogy . . . touch, we lost that years ago. “ When one of the family gets sick” j Marion Hosking, you’ll ’phone the doctor and “ some- j Winston Hills, NSW.

W h at’s new D oc?

But a report on our own plight is overdue, for the sake of the patience of readers who’ve bought this issue two weeks late, for the sake of those angry contributors still waiting for a cheque, for our own sake, and for those who have already given us more than we’ve given them.

As reported elsewhere (Rolling Stone, August 2; Nation Review, August 4), The Digger is getting free offices and ’phopes in Melbourne as a gesture of support from the Light, Powder and Construction Works, a research and propaganda unit supported by the Community Aid Abroad Trade A ctio n ’¿i'Oup. Rent, ’phone and typesetting costs are now down $180 a week.

Many other people have noticed out intermittent pleas for finances, and donated or loaned amounts ranging from the odd drink for a Digger in the pub to loans totalling $9,000 from our printers, and two bashful supporters of our cause.

Many other people have noticed our willingness to listen and listening has become a large part of our job.

We’re hearing mostly from people no-one else will listen to, and we’re listening with no reason to fear consequences of what we print.

We don’t have advertisers we might offend, nor backers who wish to draw lines over which we pass at risk of losing patronage. That sounds like a solid place to be, and proud, but it doesn’t pay the bills.

A .L P and O m ega Your article on Omega in issue no. 20 was certainly well-timed. The ALP Federal Conference has referred this matter to the joint Parliamentary Defence and Foreign Affairs Commi­ ttee who presumably will recommend whether or not the system should be implemented and, with a Committee line-up of 12 ALP and ten Liberal, Country Party and DLP members, it seems likely that Omega will be given the all clear. Certainly Federal Transport Minister Charles Jones has stated his belief that the Federal Conference decision really meant the green light for Omega.

A large number of ALP members do not share Jones’ naive faith in the United States’ offer of a shipping navigational aid. We believe the United States does nothing which is not in its own interest. Omega is needed in this region to com­ plete the world-wide network and unfortunately since a non-Labor New Zealand government said “ No” , we have been left as the guinea-pigs.

The ALP Against Omega Commi­ ttee is determined to fight against this additional Amerikan Military installation and seeks support from the rank and file of the Party to uphold Party Policy which we believe is quite clearly against the abrogation of Australian sovereignty in favor of the US Military Machine.

M.C. Tibby, ALP Against Omega Committee, Hurstbridge, Vic.

The Digger currently pays costs and recoups income as follows: COSTS (per fort- INCOME (per fortnight) night)

1

1000 Printing Wages & tax (for 6) 620 Contributors 250 100 Freight 50 Postage Advertising 30 Art supplies 20 10 Stat. &c.

150 Miscellan.

Total

$ Circulation NSW 590 620 Victoria 35 SA WA 50 600 Advertising Mail orders 10 Subscriptions 30 Donations 20

2230 Total

1955

This is based on what we guess circulation is. It takes two to three months before we know what a particular issue sold, and therefore how much we’re due to get for it.

That advertising figure varies too.

Our best sellers so far have been the issues that stayed on the stands three or four weeks — when we went monthly. We guess that means there’s a few thousand people who don’t buy The Digger every fortnight but do buy the odd issue if they stumble across it. Given twice the time to find it, more people to buy it.

But going monthly changes the profit/loss statement by doubling the bill for wages per issue, and a lot of small running costs too.

In balance, we can’t afford to stay fortnightly unless the fringe buyers who bought the monthlies buy it fortnightly, and going back to monthly is our plan until we see a clear trend upward in sales, or until a new patron arrives with money or manna.

That’s the state of things here, inside.

People ask why are we doing these things? Why not — say — stop clinging on with all forefingers and rally behind the two Richards (Walsh/Neville) at Gordon Barton’s media temple?

Next month Richard Neville re­ turns from overseas to edit - with Terry Maher and “ a woman” — a weekly newspaper thus-far tagged “ Son of Ferret” .

The idea reportedly grew from Richard Walsh and Gordon Barton meetings where it was decided their paper, Nation Review, was missing out on big agency ads. because of its “ D-Notices” — personal classifieds which nevertheless bring in tens of thousands of readers. One solution was to put the popular D-Notices in another weekly, and leave Nation Review clean(er).

A second weekly would also be economically more efficient.

Instead of hiring lots of casual labor to cope with Nation Review's weekly production crisis, the com­ pany could hire more full-timers and stagger production deadlines on the two papers to keep everyone busy. Full-time salaries add up to less than two-times half-time casual wages.

Whatever it gets called, “ Son of Ferret” will be a counter-cultural weekly, sharing staff and facilities with Nation Review, and aiming for a mass market before all else.

What does it all mean?

The Digger is running on street food. That tends to make participants inventive, resourceful, manic-depres­ sive, committed, and edgy. “ Son of Ferret” has been budgeted to allow initially for losses of $7,000 an issue, according to reliable sources. It should be something else.

The Digger will come out once every four weeks for a while. Some of us will write and some will listen — all of us will try to make survival less oppressive. Hopefully some of you who’ve followed The Digger's progress can help: with ideas, copy, pictures, money or labor.

We’re at 350 Victoria Street, North Melbourne; 329.0977; anc* 15 Avenue Road, Glebe, 660.6957.

More power to the Possibility.

September 8 — October 6

1

Page 2

THE DIGGER

EARTH NEWS

Published by High Times Pty. Ltd., 350 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, 3051.

Phone: 329.0977.

Postal Address: PO Box 77, Carlton, 3053.

Published fortnightly throughout Australia.

Cover price is recommended retail maximum.

A bbie

Melbourne: Editorial: Phillip Frazer, Helen Gamer, Alistair Jones.

Advertising: Terry Cleary.

Layout: Phillip Frazer Typesetting: Helen Keenan.

denies it

Sydney: Editorial: Hall Greenland, Jon Hawkes, Ponch Hawkes.

Advertising: Michael Zerman.

15 Avenue Rd., Glebe, 2037.

Phone: 660.6957.

Distributors: New South Wales: Allan Rodney Wright (circulation) Pty. Ltd., 3.6-40 Bourke Street, Woolloomooloo, 2021. Phone 357.2588.

Victoria: Incorporated Newsagencies Company Pty. Ltd., 113 Roslyn Street, Melbourne, ; 3003. Phone 30.4222.

South Australia: Midnight Distributors, 133 Esplanade, Henley South, 5022.

Western Australia: P. & H. Redman , PO Box 3, Palmyra, 6157 .

The Digger accepts news, fea­ tures, artwork or photographs from contributors.

Send material with a stamped SAE if you want it back, to The Digger, PO Box 77, Carlton, 3053.

The Digger is a member of the Underground Press Syndicate (UPS) J

Back numbers of The Digger are available at both Sydney and Melbourne offices, or by mail at 45 cents each. Send cheque or postal order to: Back Numbers, The Digger, 15 Avenue Rd, Glebe, 2037

Attorneys for Abbie Hoffman — vho was arrested in New York last week for possession and sale of :ocaine — say that from preliminary evidence they view the case as a political one, and not a typical nar­ cotics case.

Attorney Fred Cohn, an associate of Hoffman’s attorney Jerry Lefcourt, told Earth News “ Everybody’s tried to get Abbie before, and I’ve never known Abbie to deal with drugs and [’ve known him a long time.”

Abbie Hoffman, of course, was a founder of the Yippies and a leading radical organiser during the late sixties and early ’70’s. Hé was also a defendant in the famed “ Chic­ ago 7” conspiracy trial.

Hoffman was arrested by under­ cover narcotics agents at New York’s Hotel Diplomat at 8 pm Tuesday night. According to the police, Hoffman —with three other people — attempted to sell three pounds of pure cocaine to undercover agents.

Reports say that $36,000 in cash was involved in the transaction.

Jeff Camin reported for KSAN radio from New York Wednesday morning that Hoffman’s bail had been set at $500,000. Attorney Fred Cohn said the bail decision will be appealed.

Under present New York law the crime for which Hoffman was arrested is a “ Class A” felony, punishable by 15 years to life im­ prisonment. The arrest came just one week before New York’s new and stiffer drug laws go into effect.

Jeff Camin, reporting for KSAN radio, said that the prosecutors in the cáse view it as “ open and shut” .

Camin also said that the undercover agents who made the arrest on a tip did not know that Hoffman was involved in this case.

Hoffman’s attorney’s office said that several friends are already dis­ cussing plans for a defense committee.

- EN.

T-shirt and dirty levis — was sold large amounts of barbiturates and amphetamines. Another reporter bought large quantities of methaqualone.

Last year, Detroit pill deaths out­ numbered heroin fatalities.

—EN.

Puerto R ico Suba has called upon the United Nations De-colonisation Committee to take up the question of indepen­ dence for Puerto Rico. Cuba’s Am­ bassador — Ricardo Alacron — asked the UN committee to demand com­ plete independence for the island, and to halt plans there for an oil super-port.

- The 24-nation committee is study­ ing whether Puerto Rico should be considered as a colony entitled to independence. The US — which re­ fuses to participate in the committee’s activities — claims that Puerto Rico is not a proper issue for the UN. Washington says that the people of Puerto Rico already have the right to change their present common­ wealth status to either statehood or independence.

The Cuban ambassador has charged that the US is exercising what he called “ genocidal colonial­ ism” . He said that “yankee ex­ ploiters” invade the island and force the natives to emigrate to the “ ghettos of New York and the semiforced labor camps of New Jersey and Florida.”

—EN.

U nion w akes

It might be that the slumbering American trade union movement is beginning to stir, shaking off some of its affluent apathy. In Detroit, No. 1: Wainer's abortion epic; Gary Young leftist auto workers are putting to­ exposed. gether an alternative to the United No. 2: Drug history of Australia; JMiugini Auto Workers’ Union. cannibals.

No. 3: Cocker interview; Don Juan; Nearly 100 members of the Nat­ Porny pics. ional Unemployed Welfare Rights No. 4; Zimmer's Essay; Football's freak; Organisation met in Detroit last week­ . High School revolt. end and formed a new auto caucus.

No. 5: People's. Park; FM radio; shared diseases.

The delegates denounced the UAW No. 6: Helen Garner/school kids; Reefer and their president Leonard Wood­ Madness. cock*— for “ selling out”'th e trade No.- 7: Poetry supp.; History of abortion.' union movement.

No. 8: Bisexuality; Labor's victory; Mt. Isa. No. 9: Prostitutes; conscripts & resisters.

According to organiser Dave No. 10: Marg Whitlam; the gay beat; Suarez, “ We want to organise steel Sunshine grass label. workers and auto workers into one No. 11: Women in pubs; Nimbin; auto caucus. We want to save them Ringolevio.

Indian women in Canada have from the UAW.” No. 12: Comix supp.; Angry Brigade; —EN. Sunbury. just been told that they don’t have No. 13: Rolling Stones; Drug''problem ''? the same rights as Indian men. When No. 14: Contraceptive guide; Sydney's an Indian man marries a non-Indian junkie murder. he retains his status as an Indian.

No. 15: Nurses; Higher Consciousness; Great Moments of Rock.

But when an Indian woman marries No. 16: Anti-psychiatry; Fred Robinson; a non-Indian she loses that status.

Port Phillip sewer; "couples".

This position was confirmed by No. 17: Silver Screen; Nimbin; Zappa.

The British music publication ‘a recent decision of the Canadian No. 18: Watergate; Ford; ALP; Godfathers.

Melody Maker reports this week an Supreme Court, which upheld the No. 19: Dalmas, med. students, women's provisions of the Canadian Indian astonishing rumor that Bob Dylan, strike.

No. 20: Omega, No. 96, Communes, Act. The court said that despite the Joan Baez, Paul Simon and George Victoria Street. equal rights provisions of the Canad­ Harrison have plans to set up their No. 21: The Fastest Rising Guru in the ian Bill of Rights, the British North own independent record label.

West; How Labor Bought Tasmania; According to the report, Dylan’s America Act — which is Canada’s Body rhythms; Suburbs seige.

Constitution — gives the country’s attorney David Braun is already neg­ parliament the right to legislate for otiating for the label. Melody Maker Indians, and make such qualifications says that Dylan, Baez and Simon are all free from contracts, but that as they want.

This decision affects some 6,000 George Harrison is still tied to a Indian women and children, who two-and-a-half year contract with will now lose their Indian status. Capitol records.

Another problem confronting the NOTION: Who knows whether it’s They will also lose such things as monthly or fortnightly anymore. treaty settlements; health, education new company' is apt to be distri­ How about if we send you 26 and housing benefits; and the right bution. According to the published report, the group plans to sign the . issues, however spaced out they to the use of reserve lands. become.

The Chairperson of the Canadian former Columbia Records boss — That’s $7.80.

Government Committee on thé Status Clive Davis — as the head of the of Women — Dr. Katie Cook — has company. Davis is still embroiled in COUNTRY: If your postcode is out­ protested the court decision and legal hassles with Columbia records side the 25-mile radius of any promised to fight it.

—EN. following all those reports of payola, capital city, pay only $5.00. dope and sex in connection with (A subscription is only $5.00 for record promotion.

— EN. anyone living in Queensland, Tas­ mania or they territories.)

Indian giver

R ealist plot Paul Krassner, the editor of the political and satirical journal The Realist, says he’s about to publish a book dealing with what he sees as a national governmental conspiracy of which the Watergate capers are only a part.

The book grew out of Krassner’s association with conspiracy research­ er Mae Brussell (see Digger, Water­ gate special, no. 18). Together they planned to publish a twice-monthly periodical called the “ Conspiracy Newsletter” . But that project grew out of control, says Krassner, and the research has now been edited into a 75-page booklet.

According to the Berkeley Barb newspaper, the only thing holding back publication of the book is a lack of about $5,000 needed for printing and distribtuion. Several weeks ago, Krassner began advertising in classif­ ieds for contributions to publish the book.

In the last issue of The Realist, Krassner charged that “ When John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, the United States government was taken over.”

- —EN.

A frican s die According to the new report, over half of the 24 million people living south of the Sahara are now threat­ ened with starvation. In the nation of Chad, over half of the country’s 3.7 million people are now reportedly starving to death. 80% of the animals in that nation are already victims of the drought.

In the West African nation of Mali, 80% of the people are starving, and nearly every animal in the country is already dead. In neighboring Maure­ tania, the statistics are similar. Other African nations hit hard by the drought include Niger, Senegal and Upper Volta.

The most recent report on the situation says that the starvation is now beginning to spread north to Southern Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Sudan.

A spokesperson for the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation stated recently that over one-and-a-half million people in Ethiopia will be close to death from starvation in the near future. ¡¡B EN.

B ob W Joan

D o it, D o c Subscriptions,

The Digger, P,0. Box 77, Carlton 3053.

Dear Digger, I enclose my cheque/postal order for $7.80/$5.00 ($5.00 subs are . available only to subscribers living I outside a 25 mile radius of capital ■ cities, or in Queensland, Tasmania o r | territories).

Please put me down for 26 issues of The Digger. £

I

N am e....................

■

Address .P’code

jft0 I(ifiERo

i

Make cheques payable to 1 Hightimes Pty, Ltd. crossed not a negotiable.

L

Investigators for the Detroit Free Press have revealed that if you’re in the market for dope — like bar­ biturates, amphetamines, and quaaludes — you can let yoUr fingers do the walking — through the yellow pages.

Three Free Press reporters called various printing companies in Detroit posing as doctors. They ordered business cards, letterhead stationary, and — more importantly — 3,000 prescription blanks. The blanks in­ cluded the name, address and phony federal narcotics numbers of nonexistant doctors.

Without exception, the printing companies printed up the stuff -“*■ without even checking if the nar­ cotics numbers were valid.

In the second part of the in­ vestigation, the reporters filled out the blanks — sometimes even with mistakes in the medical language — and took them to pharmacies. Nine out of 11 drug stores either filled the orders or turned them down simply because they were out of stock. One reporter — dressed in a

C IA in India A team of CIA agents has been caught snooping around India, according to the German newspaper Berliner Extra Dienst. That paper says that the agents were operating under the cover of the research team for something called the “ Himalayan Borderland Project” . The project was supposedly an effort to study the language, religion, and culture of the native populations of the area.

However, the Indian government authorities —already suspicious about Watergate-type espionage operations —made insistent inquiries to the State Department about the nature of the research project. Those authorities fianlly learned that the project was really a cover for a CIA researchteam. The “ researchers” it developed were more concerned with potential military sites than with language and culture.

The newspaper report stated that 60% of the operation was financed by the US State Department.

(People's Translation Service, Ber­ keley, California.)

A rm ad illo The environmental advisor for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has some advice for south westerners who are unable to pay the high prices for beef. Bob Carlisle says they should start eating armadillo.' It’s tasty, he says, and his family eats armadillo three or four times a year.

The armadillo is not on anyone’s endangered species list and there’s no game limit for the coon-sized animal in Texas. Carlisle’s favorite recipe is to cook the animal in its own shell, stuffed with carrots, apple slices, po­ tatoes and cabbage. He says the secret is to keep drenching the little fellow every few minutes in butter.

Carlisle says the armadillo then can be served right in the shell.

Actually though, the shell is a little hairy and strange looking. It’s objectionable to some people, and downright obnoxious to others. In that case, Carlisle says, you can chill the armadillo and the meat will peel nicely right out of the shell.

The armadillo can be captured bare-handed, he says, if you have the heart for the loud grunt it makes when you grab it.

—KFJZ, Ft. Worth, Texas.

Texas dope In Texas, hundreds of prisoners are focusing their attention and hopes for immediate release on one 54-year-old man who’s serving a 50year sentence for possession of mari­ juana. His name is George Marshall, and he’s the first marijuana prisoner to appeal his sentence under the terms of the state’s new pot law.

That new law reduced possession of grass amounting to four ounces or less from a felony to a misdemeanour crime, and sharply reduces the punish­ ment for conviction. The law con­ tains a clause that makes it retro­ active, thereby providing a way out of jail for hundreds of persons serving sentences for possession of grass .

If Marshall’s appeal is successful, it will automatically mean release for

September 8 — October 6, 1973 possibly hundreds of other prisoners.

However, in Forth Worth, District Judge Byron Matthews has denied Marshall’s appeal. At the same time he declared the new pot law uncon­ stitutional and informed the defense attorneys that they could now take their case to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

In the meantime, Texas Attorney General John Hill said that until the courts make a final decision on the constitutionality of the new pot law it is up to the local DAs to decide whether they want to prosecute marijuana offenders on felony or misdemeanour charges.

(David Day, KFJZ — Ft. Worth).

Gay em ploy An unemployed San Francisco man has filed a complaint with the' Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charging that he and 21 million other people are being discriminated against by employers.

Don Jackson says that because he’s a white, single man he can’t get a job.

Jackson charges in his complaint that the Human Rights Commission is encouraging employers to give first consideration to minorities and women. After that, says Jackson, the employers look for the “stable married man with a family to sup­ port.” Single men, he says, are usually thought of as homosexuals and given little or no consideratioil by potential employers. Jackson is gay.

To support his argument, Jackson produced figures showing that in 1969, single men in San Francisco earned a lower average salary than almost any other group, including blacks and women. In that year, married men earned $11,400 and single men earned an average of only $3,900.

have been overcharging the consumers by about $2 billion a year for the last four years. It asks an incredible $54 billion in compensatory damages.

In a related action, Senator James Abourezk and Representative Les Aspin have both introduced bills that would allow oil companies to do business in only one of four phases in the industry. A company could either produce oil, or refine it, or transport it, or market it — but couldn’t engage in more than one of those activities.

These bills will probably never see the light of day, but environmenta­ lists are encouraged just by the fact that the bills exist. The Friends of the Earth organisation says they may be symbolic, but they’re an “ omen of things to come.”

And in another action, California’s Chairperson of the State Board of Equalisation has called upon the state to get into the oil business itself. William Bennett, who’s used his office for consumer advocacy, says that if the state were to get into the business “ Then you’d see the oil companies start supplying the public.”

— EN.

Leukem ia

The town of Charlevoix — on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan —had the dubious distinction back in 1962 of being the site of America’s fourth nuclear power plant, built and op­ erated by Consumer’s Power Com­ pany, a private utility. The com­ pany boasted at the time that the plant would provide clean, efficient and ample power to the people of northern Michigan.

Perhaps it has. But it has also pro­ vided a radioactivity in the immedi­ ate area that gives Charlevoix County an incredibly high rate of infant deaths, immature births, and cancer and leukemia deaths.

Between the years 1962 and 1967 the state of Michigan saw its infant death rate drop by ten per cent. In Charlevoix the infant death rate was up 0.2%.

For the state, the immature birth The Krupp Company in Germany rate was down one percent during — once the world’s largest manu­ the.five year period. In Charlevoix, facturer — is back in business doing it was up 21%.

For the state, the cancer death what it swore it never would again — building arms. The Krupps were the rate during those five years was major munitions supplier to Kaiser down four per cent. In Charlevoix the cancer death rate increased by Wilhelm and to Hitler.

A Berlin newspaper revealed this 35%.

Statewide, the leukemia death rate week that the company is now ne­ gotiating with the government De­ saw no significant change during fense Minister for a “long-term con­ those years, while in Charlevoix the tract” for the supply of armaments leukemia death rate increased by to police forces and NATO allies. 139%. Those statistics — supplied by - E N . Martha Drake in Peace and Freedom magazine — appear nowhere in the utility company’s promotional lit­ erature.

— EN.

K rupp rearms

Plane m oney The dollar may soon be replaced as the international monetary unit by an unlikely successor — the airplane ticket.

The International Air Transport Association recently agreed to create an artificial currency to replace the pound and the dollar as the basis for the international ticket fares. Meet­ ing in Paris, delegates from 73 airlines made the move because they believe the British and American currencies are fluctuating too much for inter­ national use.

The delegates called for a trial run by computer of the new currency, which would be called the “IATA unit of account”. The new currency would be convertible to 168 national currencies. While the national curren­ cies may rise and fall in relative value, the “ IATA unit of account” will remain a constant value. — EN.

C anada A Canadian government commis­ sion has recommended that house­ wives in Canada can be included under the national pension plan.

The Advisory Council on the Status of Women was set up by the Canadian government several months ago to advise parliament on situations involving women’s rights. The 28member council — which includes two men — met last month for the. first time, and immediately drafted several proposals.

One recommendation was the in­ clusion of housewives in the national pension plan —which is financed from workers’ wages. The Council also called for the establishment of a Human Rights Council and changes in the divorce laws. The group also is planning to concentrate its efforts on proposing amendments to the Canada Labor Code, as it pertains to the rights of women.

—EN.

Rockefeller Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s new New York drug law went into effect September 1.

People in New York can now be sent to prison for life for possession of such things as heroin, barbiturates, amphetamines, or LSD. Anyone caught with over one ounce of mari­ juana faces up to a 15-year jail sentence.

Governor Rockefeller has also re­ ceived the right to appoint 100 new judges — a move that has been attacked as merely a new outlet for political patronage appointments.

Sing Sing Prison — which has been unused for several years — is being readied for an expected influx of new prisoners.

—EN.

that Leary says exist in the penal system. Among those suggestions are a proposal to allow persons convicted of financial but non-violent crimes to work off their debts to the victims, and establishing “ restricted colonies” for violent prisoners where they can live normal lives with their families while receiving vocational training and psychological j help.

—EN.

Freak jets America’s newest airline was granted Federal Aviation Admini­ stration approval last week and plans to begin service in September. It’s called “ Freelandia” , and it’s being promoted as the world’s first counter­ culture airline. ; So far, Freelandia Airlines con­ sists of just one DC-8 jet, painted a shocking yellow. It belongs to a 30-year-old college drop-out who made a million bucks in the stock market and then did the rounds of Ibiza, Geneva and Bombay seeking “ to become a holy man” . Kenneth Moss — the owner of Freelandia apparently didn’t make it in the “ holy man” game and eventually ended up in a hippie commune in the San Francisco area. It was while living there, he said, that he decided to buy a plane and fly to Bali to es­ cape the Bay area rain. That idea eventually grew into the present one, which is to operate a non-profit air­ line for freaks.

Beginning in September, Free­ landia will begin flights from San Francisco to Honolulu for $69 — compared to over $100 on regular airlines — and from Los Angeles to New York for $09 —compared to about $150 on most airlines. They’ll also have a New York flight to Brussels for just $100.

Moss explained that in order to fly on Freelandia, you’ll have to become a member by paying a $50 membership. That way, the airline actually qualifies aS a travel club.

As for in-slight services, Freelandia will offer organic food, rock music, backgammon and chess sets.

The promoters hasten to point out that the crews of pilots, navi­ gators and stewardesses are all straight professionals and have passed all the FAA tests and re­ quirements.

Membership information may be acquired by writing to PO Box 55067, Sherman Oaks, California, 91413.

-E N . j

D eep ear The British rode group Deep Purple is officially the loudest band in the world — duly certified by the Guiness Book o f Records.

The edition of the Book o f Records currently being prepared says the group puts out 117 decibels of sound. That’s 17 decibels louder than a jet airplane flying at 1,000 feet,and three decibels short of the level of physical pain.

— EN.

BRTrium phs The only place in the world where you can buy a BSA motorcycle these days is in the Arabian countries, according to Cycle News.

- That’s because BSAs aren’t built anymore — except for the Arabs.

That’s because the Arabs refuse to ride Triumph motorcycles. And that’s because the Israelis ride Triumphs.

Since the Israeli police ride Tri­ umphs, the Arabs have outlawed them in all Arabian countries. So the British company that owns BSA, Tri­ umph and Norton simply put BSA emblems on the Triumphs that are sold to the Arab police.

—EN.

Leary suit Spray b u m s

Dr. Timothy Leary, imprisoned LSD advocate and self-proclaimed “ hope-fiend” , has filed a class action suit seeking to close down the Calif­ Following a two-year investigation, ornia state prison system. the American Federal Drug Admini­ Leary’s suit was filed through a stration has refused to ban the sales prison group known as PROBE — of vaginal sprays — euphemistically which stands for Political Reform known as “ feminine deodorants” .

Organisation for Better Education.

The FDA says that their investi­ The suit names as defendants Gover­ gation — as well as numerous other nor Ronald Reagan, the California investigations —showed that the vagi­ Assembly and the California Depart­ nal sprays have virtually no medical ment of Corrections. Leary’s co­ or therapeutic values, and that they plaintiffs include Charles Newsome — have produced many adverse re­ the chairperson of PROBE — and actions, such as irritation, burns and every inmate now in the state prisons. infections. But the problems haven’t; According to the Los Angeles been serious enough to warrant’ Weekly News, Leary charges in a banning sales of the deodorants,! legal brief that the state prisons are according to the agency. “ part of a nation-wide network of However, the FDA has proposed the Prison Empire that has set up an that the feminine deodorant pro­ oligarchical police-state in the United ducts should be labelled with a warn­ States of America.” ing regarding use and possible ad­ Public outrage over gasoline short­ Among the arguments advanced in verse effects. The proposal also in­ ages across the USA is adding badly Leary’s suit is the assertion that the cludes a provision stating that ad-i needed fuel to several legal and legis­ prisons ultimately increase crime in vertising for the products will be lative efforts to make the major oil this country by fostering “anti-social regarded as “ misleading” if it in­ companies more accountable to the psychological states” . It also states cludes the words ‘hygiene” or public. that the Penal Code “sets up a sub­ “ hygienic” .

In Brooklyn, a citizen’s group has society of delinquents just as system­ According to Caveat Emptor, a brought a class action suit in the name atically as the caste system of consumer magazine, the cost of pro­ of all US consumers against Gulf, India . | .” ducing the vaginal sprays is abbut Exxon, Texaco, Shell and Mobil. The The legal briefs also propose seve­ five per cent of their retail prices. suit charges that the oil companies ral solutions to the ctlrrent inequities -E N .

O il slick

Page 3

THE DIGGER

September 8 — October 6, 1973

Previewing Dylan's new album

I'm freakin. I'm seekin But not for a place to hide

by Duncan Campbell There we stood, twenty odd mem­ bers of the music press on the sweatdappled corner of East 55th and Madison, waiting for the promised limousines to pick us up.

‘What’s goin’ on?’ asked the wrinkled pretzel-seller eyeing the collection of satin hats, striped blazers and glitter sandals, ‘This a Faggot’s Convention or something?’

No. We were men — and women, for there too on that June morning were Annie Leibowitz and Susanne Schneider — with a Mission. We had been summoned to New York a week before by an embossed invitation card coyly inviting us to ‘An Historical Musical Event’, a ticket and instruc­ tions had been enclosed. There were veteran reporters of rip-offs who had been flown over for Brinsley Schwartz’ abortive launching; there were hood-eyed commentators who could recite you the words of ‘Johnny B. Goode’ backwards; and there were unimpressed slicksters who had given away their complimentary tickets to the Bowie tour. Yet they were all there, carried away by the sheer ballsiness of such a transparently exploitive come-on.

‘No, man,’ said Paul Gàmbachi of Cream to the little pretzel guy, in a voice loud enough to bring a shudder to the snow-capped sinuses of the rest of the musical establish­ ment, ‘we’re waiting to go off and hear a preview of the new Bob Dylan album.’

Gambachi had spoken the un­ speakable. For although there had been rumors — ‘Dig-this-man, we’regonna-be-hearin’-Bob’s-new-one’ — filtering their way through the corridors of the Chelsea Hotel where we were staying, few of us had had

the cool, or lack of it, to utter the I words.

Now it was out. And so were we.

Waiting another ten minutes for caramel-colored limos, marked crypt­ ically ‘Zimmerman Tours Inc.’ to take us to the airport and off on a private ’plane to Hibbing, Minnesota, birthplace of Bob Dylan.

The black stewardess served Tequila Ponderosa (two shots of tequila, one of guava juice and a drop of pimento with crushed ice) as the stereo sound system blared out the soundtrack from High Society. We were off.

Off to a slightly over-warm wel­ come from Dylan’s manager, Albert Grossman, chin shrouded in a new beard, stomach tucked in below an Apache-head belt.

As we landed, the shiny limou­ sines were absent. In their place — pick-up trucks with foam rubber sheets at the back, under a Bombay silk canopy.

For the doubters who had been mumbling ‘Jeez, man, this is just another Columbia rip-off, man — they’ll introduce us to some pimply patsy with his first album still hot from the presses,’ Grossman’s appearance was something of a downer.

Perhaps indeed Dylan was waiting for us. Perhaps indeed we were about to hear his latest since ‘George Jackson’. Perhaps indeed we were mo­ ments away from witnessing ‘An Historical Musical Event’.

Hibbing itself is no great shakes: a Holiday Inn, a bowling alley, Al’s Ices and a new concrete Fire Station with no windows on the ground floor were all that cried for notice on the drive of the Birthplace. Jake Eriksen of Reggae USA was sick

over the side of the second truck.

We drew up outside an unpre­ tentious two-storey whitewood house with a small, anxiously green garden in front of it. This, said the driver of the first truck, was the birthplace of ‘the finest musician and composer of the twentieth century.’ Suffering as we were from jet-lag, general weariness and the effect of those mean tequilas, we were in no position to disagree.

Nor would we have done. For just at that moment, as if scripted by some over -zealous Hollywood writer, appeared one Bob Dylan.

Now I never have seen Him in the flesh before. Movies, yes. Record sleeves by the gross. Posters, a million times; But there’s something awe-laden about encountering a myth in his birthplace, a legend in his womb.

Tanned from a Woodstock summer and filled out somewhat by a wife’s creamcheese-and-almond-burgers he still had that same vulnerable quality that drove a kazoo-shapéd stake into the hearts of the East Villagers in the early sixties, clad as he was in baggy white corduroy levis, blue collarless shirt and turquoise Star of David.

‘Howdy,’ he said, ‘we got some food and stuff inside.’

It was, I think, the only com­ plete sentence he uttered throughout our entire four-hour visit.

Half an hour later we were in the barn that belonged to his neighbor, Mr. Andrews, gazing in wonderment . at the quadrophonic sound system, the split-new speakers and Japanese Hora amps that had been mounted the better for us to hear The Album.

The album right, let’s start at the beginning, with the song most |

leased in August, starts with ‘Did] he Fall or Was he Pushed?’. It’s a j subtly political song, never pushy, j never obvious but straight out of the ‘Hattie Carrol’, ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ genre.

closely related to the album’s title.

‘Wailing Wall’ said the handout, printed in black on violet paper, featuring A1 Kooper on jew’s harp, Andy Mulhone on Moog and Ken Buttrey on drums. And away it went.

It was, as became obvious after two lines, an account of Dylan’s trip to Israel, poignant, slightly overromantic, simplistic: ‘We got no bouquet o f roses For such a heavy dude as Moses Don't wanna die, just wanna give Bethlehem and Tel-Aviv.'

Jean-Claude Bisonnier, the only i French music correspondent in the bunch, giggled slightly and we all looked the other way.

Better was to follow.

‘Answer to Joanie’ came booming out through the barn. We consulted our sheets to find out that Roger McGuinn was playing Mountain Dul­ cimer on it, along with a series of unknown (to me anyway) musicians.

This was Dylan’s reply to Joan Baez’ plaintive ‘Song for Bobby’ in which she asked him v. hy he was no longer politically involved. The message

came through strong: ‘Don't judge Quasimodo by his backbone, There's a heart buried deep inside I'm seekin' I'm freakin' But not for a place to hide.'

The LA Free Press critic app­ lauded slightly, found no-one else was doing so and tried to pretend he’d been wiping the sweat from his hands.

Track number three came on, 11 minutes of it. Ah, here was the old Dylan, here was the echo of a million articulate childhoods: ‘Who needs a Weberman when the body-snatchers whisper Amen?

Who wants an eagle when a child cries out for a wren?' and, shifting into an attack on all those people who’d accused him of being a junkie, Dylan sang: ‘Why should I cook my goose when someone does it for me?

Why should I saddle me up when I see skeletons before me?'

The second side, as it will be­ come when the album is finally re­

Kooper and Kendel Kardt but we still had little idea of what to expect.

Being from this side of the Atlantic, I was able to recognise the tune before urbane Rolling Stone Jann Wenner, fetchingly attired, as he was, in a tartan jump suit (he spent Then ‘The Man in the White Suit’, a great deal of our time in Hibbing possibly the least-imaginative despite trying to get the Great Man’s auto­ the Robbie Robertson mid-stanza graph, ‘for his kid’, he said). riffs, which catalogues Dylan’s feel­ ‘It’s an old Irish song,’ I told him. ings about the Isle of Wight concert: And it was. None other than the ‘They wanted to see stigmata, they ‘Wild Colonial Boy’ with a fine piece wanted a child grown old of double-tracking and the most They prayed for a slice o f lightn­ righteous of slide-guitar playing from ing, they craved a stone that Kooper. had rolled.'

And that was it. Thirty-nine Considering that ‘Sam Sam Sam’ minutes of the new-old Dylan: some featured, according to our notes, political, some sad, some nostalgic, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I some plain eclectic. As we eased would have expected a longer, more ourselves out of the waterbed-armcomplex piece than this re-run of ! chair comfort of Mr. Andrews’ barn ‘All The Tired Horses’. This is, of we could just hear the final chuckles course, a' song about director Sam on the album. Couldn’t make out the Peckinpah in whose latest movie, shot word quite but the last one seemed in Mexico, Dylan stars. But I doubt to rhyme with ‘suckers’.

We stepped out into the late if Sam will be ecstatic about the evening to shake hands with Mr. D. lyrics: ‘Shoot a chicken through the neck who had changed from his baggy Ask your way to the nearest cords into a pair of green dungarees and a Muscle Shoals T-shirt.

A ztec.'

Nice bit of banjo from John ‘Good lt’see you, man,’ he said Prine though. to everyone, including the ladies, Almost as if we had been expect­ ‘hope you dug it.’ And off he went ing it came the next song, a laid-back into the Minnesota sunset, waving love-tribute to his wife and kids wanly as we hit the trucks and called ‘Truly — in the Laps of the headed off for our steamy flight Gods’, which, incidentally, McGuiness back to New York.

There was a special ‘Holy Land’Flint are bringing out as a single in a by-Bob-Dylan T-shirt on every seat few weeks.

It’s a simple ballad, reminiscent of the Nashville Skyline in the ’plane. I sold mine for $15 album with its basic chords and to a youth in the Orange Julius on 39th Street. hummable rhythm.

Last track was, the cribsheet said, recorded in Dynamic Studios, King­ Duncan Campbell covered this pre­ ston, Jamaica, with J.J. Cale, A1 view for It in London.

Portugal tramps the globe, hocking colonies Australian government and busi­ ness circles are shortly to play host to a trade delegation representing Caetano’s Portugal;, v ;: 1 Caetano, President since 1968 has been an 1unregenerate fascist since 1926.

The Portuguese people are the poorest people in Europe. But Portugal is not a poor country. It mainains one of the last colonial empires which is based purely on the principle of exploiting poor people for the increased luxury of the Portuguese elite.

The object of the Portuguese Trade Mission due to tour Australia soon is to raise money. This money, to be raised through tfading alliances, is not to be spent on alleviating the conditions of the people of Portugal ‘or of its colonies. Mozambique,

Another Nixon-Marcos

Cultural exchange In a throwback to colonial times, the White House still uses Filipino servants to wait upon the President* his staff and his guests. The Filipinos are furnished by the Navy, which re­ cruits them in the Philippines under a unique arrangement solemnised by the 1947 military bases agreement.

The Navy Brass, of course, also use

Angola, Guinea-Bissao, the Cape Verde Islands and Australia’s neigh­ bor, Timor.

T he.money. is needed,, to supp,Qrt. the huge,.military ?budget,of .-African j and island countries. Portugal spends 50 per cent of its national budget on what is called defence. It maintains a permanent and growing army of 200,000 in Africa. In 1972 the Portuguese built 30 aerodromes and 50 airstrips in Mozambique alone in their efforts to combat the FRELIMO Gurrillas.

But this army is not enough.

Portugal has now formed a de facto military alliance with South Africa and Rhodesia whereby the armies and air forces of all three countries are engaged in a common war against the African liberation movements which operate in all of their countries. Recent reports cite mas­

1 Filipino stewards to attend to their wants.

Embarassed presidential spokesmen are unwilling to say hôw many Filipinos are employed as ser­ vants at the White House. The Lib­ rary of Congress, however, was able to find out for Rep. Phil Burton (D.-Calif.). “ Approximately 100-120 Filipino stewards are stationed in the Washing­ ton metropolitan area,” the library reported. “ Of these, 32 are assigned j to Headquarters, Naval District j Washington. Another 58 are assigned to the Navy Adminsitration Unit, which is the official designation for those stewards assigned to the White f House staff.”

— LPCW.

U n i pulls C arlton dow n

by Peter Browne This activity is occurring because In the past, the Victorian Housing the individuals in control of the Commission, under the leadership university are ambitiously endeavour­ of Riy Meagher and others, has ing to increase the student popu­ been the principle demolisher of lation, which, at 15,000, is already selected areas of Melbourne’s inner becoming too impersonal, for reasons suburbs; subsequently erecting build­ unknown. They plan an Earth ings apparently designed as examples Sciences department bn the land already cleared; Earth Sciences being of bad taste. Now the administration of Melbourne University is following connected with the mining industry suit, and already 14 houses around where work is in short supply for the corner of Elgin and Swanston the degree-holder. On land yet to be Streets have been demolished to make cleared, a motel is projected, to Way for the uni. But it’s not only accommodate visiting businessmen greater Carlton that will suffer as a ■studying at the university. result of the administration’s mis­ Student response has been low placed ambition. Almost all the old key, probably due, it’s said, to buildings within the university’s the fact that it’s third term. Three immediate area are planned to go , tents stand in one of the university’s even the irreplaceable Botany Garden, patches of lawn. A protest centre where many a young romance has against the plans, the tents are known flourished, to make way for new as tent city. block-style structures.

sive Rhodesian excursions into Mozambique, Meanwhile, a series of advertise­ ments is currently being placed in Australian dailies —by • the South Africans, via the Trust Bank of South Africa Limited, as part of a program of propaganda which all three countries are projecting toward an increasingly hostile world.

All three countries are using tourism promotion as a major propaganda weapon. The South African government donates films, ostensibly designed as tourist pro­ motion, to Australian movie ex­ hibitors who, of course, show them.

These films are thinly disguised white racist documentaries, rarely showing blacks except fleetingly in menial and servile activities. Portugal is now gearing up to a similar operation whereby. it hopes to promote a

French cops polish image:

Nightstick in velvet glove

The bribe takes the form of an offer to give Portugal economic aid,' on the condition that Portugal immediately stop its colonial-wars.

West Germany’s Minister of Foreign Aid, who made the offer public, also announced that his government would favor sanctions against Por­ tugal if they didn’t leave Africa. The moves by the West Germans follow a recent communique issued by the country’s ruling Social Democratic Party charging that Portugal is using weapons bought from NATO allies to fight its African wars. That is a violation of NATO agreements. The Social Democrats called on all NATO nations to end all arms sales to Portugal.

tourist information/propaganda out­ the international market. Direct let through the film industry. foreign investments in Portugal in Australians will be encouraged to 1972 topped the $60 million mafk, visit Tirrtrir,* lulled -'in m wave df as against • $48;million, in 1971 and . w h ite-m a n ’s-playground tropical { $26 million in 1970. Economically and politically, Portugal itself is a Muzak.

In Mozambique millions of dollars colony of the powerful western are being spent in constructing countries. In 1972 imports into luxury facilities for Rhodesian and Portugal exceeded exports by a South African visitors. One multi­ staggering $790 million.

NATO — which includes the USA million dollar investment comes from and the European countries surPlayboy boss Hugh Heffner.

I rounding the USSR —is chief backer Meanwhile, inside these Portu­ j of the Portuguese colonial wars. This guese colonies, as in Portugal itself, year members of NATO’s College of no political demonstrations are Defence met in Lisbon where they allowed, no gatherings, no debates, discussed the strategic importance of ports and much less political parties of any Portuguese-controlled kind. No trade union rights have' aerial bases. The West German government has offered Portugal a been conceded.

And to keep up with costs of giant bribe — or maybe the choice maintaining its own fascist regime, between carrot or stick — if they Portugal is selling off its colonies on withdraw from Africa.

duties it was designed to carry out and there would be no need of posters to win the public esteem.”

The campaign was supposedly launched by the Interior Minister Raymond Marcellin who is in charge of police. It is suggested that it is a form of response to the angry pro­ vincial mayors and local officials who have seen police forces doubled while local services languish through in­ efficient use of personnel available.

These protesting municipal auth­ orities would find themselves shout­ ing angrily in limbo if the campaign could convince the general public that all’s well.

And then of course the campaign goes on until just after the opening of the autumn budget debates in parliament.

— LPCW.

A French grdup with the grand name, Association for National Causes, is financing a big advertising campaign apparently designed to change the image of the police from a bunch of truncheon-happy heavies into smiling child-minders and tourist helpers.

Or as Gerard Souhami, managing director of J. Walter Thomspon, France, the agency which is running the ad campaign, put it: “ The police have a mission to look to the security The Fiery Scot: of everybody at all moments and in, all circumstances.

“They have a wonderful name — Guardians of the Peace — that Frenchmen are so accustomed to, that we lose sight of what it means.”

The advertising began with bill-' boards showing the policeman direct­ ing lost tourists, monitoring children’s games in a playground and keeping a stern but reassuring eye on the general

by Dennis Atkins scene. It’s soon to go onto radio and South Australian secretary of the television too.

Many of these public servants Amalgamated Métal Workers’ Union rocketed, in this extravagant manner, John Scott visited the USSR last to stardom, are reported to be some­ year. He went on a tour of the what embarassed at being sold like a factories and was generally impressed. new detergent, and are sceptical about Some grumbles about the plumbing, but that’s all. One thing he was the usefulness of the campaign.

And to police unions the posters impressed with was the way factory are a caricature of the work police workers were involved with the arts.

He told of one factory which had actually do. “ The police should take care of its own theatre and another which their publicity themselves,” says had its own symphony orchestra.

Henry Buch, deputy-secretary of the These ideas have obviously been powerful Federation of Police Unions. mulling in John’s mind because he “ Let the police force perform the has just announced his intention

for a “ people’s theatre” in this state.

The fiery Scotsman looks upon himself as the local union bard as well. He is at present putting the finishing touches to his first play.

It will be a dramatic account of a sit-in strike of assembly workers in GMH’s Elizabeth plant in 1970.

Another project to be taken up by the award-winning Scot is to put on a play about six farm laborers

Australian companies are deve­ loping trade links with Portugal and its colonies. BHP has large holdings

in Portugal. Other Australian com­ panies trading with Portugal are being researched. It is rumored that the Labor : Government will softpedal (any protest against the visiting trade mission because of its interest in oil leases in the Timor sea — where the border between Australia and Portuguese Timor is still unsettled. Dr Jim Cairns, Minister for Secondary Industry, said he wouldn’t talk with them.

The visit of the Portuguese Trade Mission is as important to the Portuguese as the Springbok tour was to the South Africans, and the now defunct Rhodesia Information Ser­ vice was to the Rhodesian regime.

For further information contact Justin Maloneyat Race Relations AUS 347-7433 (Melbourne).

1 LPCW

from Dorset, England, who were sent to Australia in chains for daring to establish a trade union. The Workers’ Education Association members have approached SA premier Don Dunstan, and hope the play will be put on some time next year. Dunstan is also enter-1 ing the theatre. He will read a selection of Ogden Nash’s poems at the zoo during next year’s

poems at the zoo during next year’s Festival of Arts.

As yet the new union-based arts group has made no plans for the Festival of Arts which ain’t for the workers, mate.

Meanwhile at the other people’s theatre, the new Festival Theatre, the Leningrad Kirov Ballet put out Swan Lake, Giselle and Chopiniana.

From Russia With Love.

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Concert bookings now available through Mushroom Artist Co-ordination 51 9821.

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Page 4

THE DIGGER

September 8 — October 6, 1973

Hall Greenland talks to residents at Sydney's Weemala hospital

T H E CRIPS» rising up angry under the do-gooders This blue came out of the blue. One Monday morning Neil Russ rang Digger. “Listen, the authorities here at Weemala Hospital ate denying the patients ^heir basic civil rights.”

(What hospital? A nurse who was born and raised a stone’s throw from the hospital; and trekked past it every day going to and from school, later told me neither he nor his mates knew what Weemala was. Never would have if he hadn’t come to work there.)

“It’s been going on for too long and we’ve got to make waves now. We want somebody to write our story and to write it straight.”

Steve met me at the ambulance entrance. In a wheel chair. He has ossium fragilitis.

Weemala is what from 1901 to 1954 was called the N.S.W. Home for Incurables. A place for crippled and spastic people, most of whom will leave it, in Neil Russ’s words, “feet first”. It has 176 beds.

Steve guided me to Ward 10 and to the four who live there.

Neil Russ, who came to Weemala at 21, is now 36. He has muscular distrophy and lies on his movable bed in a crouch position with his withered legs curled under him.

“They’ll tell you I can get a cold and die tomorrow. Sometimes we don’t live this long, but I could go on till I’m 8 0 .1 stopped walking when 1 was nine. These last couple of years I’ve stopped worrying about it. I’ve got a few square feet to Uve in and I utilise it. The blok£ with the two good legs who runs past this place and has a 9-5 job and the usual problems, weU, he’s got handicaps.”

Patrick Walker came in at 19 and is now 24. Muscular distrophy like Neil, but he’s in a wheel chair. He had a brother with it too, who died young.

Barry, cripped in a shooting accident, has been there as long as Patrick, and also gets about in a chair.

Steve, now 22, at Weemala for three years, tells me: “What with the motor car madness, us crips are a growing class.”

First thing Neil hands me this notice.

NOTICE TO WEEMALA PATIENTS AND STAFF At the last meeting of the Board of Directors held on 28th June 1973, two matters affecting the welfare of the Weemala patients were brought to their notice. These matters concerned: 1. Use of motorised wheelchairs 2. Patients’ leave — other than annual leave The Board gave sympathetic and detailed consideration to both matters and having regard to all aspects and in particular the overall effect of all patients residing at Weemala, the following resolutions were made: 1. Motorised Wheelchairs That no further motorised wheel­ chairs be permitted within Wee­ mala and Coorabel (excluding the RehabiUtation Centre) and that in regard to the two existing motorised wheelchairs, that the patients concerned may continue to use these wheelchairs, but on these patients leaving Weemala, these chairs must not be passed on to any other patient. Further, they shah not be replaced when they become worn out or unserviceable.

It was further agreed that one of the two motorised wheelchairs, owned by Mr Patrick Walker, be used only for the dehvery of patients’ newspapers.

Patients Annual

Leave — Other Than

The Board is concerned that a number of patients are leaving the hospital to attend outings and functions without obtaining prior approval of executive staff.

For the welfare of all patients at Weemala it is essential that Hospital Management is kept aware of patients leaving the grounds of the Homes. In view of the frequent disregard by a small number of patients in recent weeks to senior nursing staff requests that they be informed of daily leave,'the Board has found it necessary to introduce a curfew.

This means that all patients are required to obtain prior approval for daily leave and are required to be in residence not later than 8.30 p.m. However, in special cir­ cumstances the Executive Staff are empowered to extend this curfew when necessary. This does not apply to annual leave but only to daily outings.

If patients continue to ignore this rule, they must be informed that they abide by the Rules of the Association, or find other accom­ modation.

The Board has stressed that under any circumstances permission

are pretty ignorant on handicapped people, no matter how well-meaning.

We’ve got experts running Weemala.

Digger: Experts sometimes differ.

And they’re not always right. Lay people sometimes know better —and anyhow have ,a right to know.

Hodson: I’m on the local council and as far as I’m concerned minorities and splinter-groups get too much publicity. We live in a permissive society — and I don’t mean that in the sexual way — and we’ve got all these splinter groups. They’ve got a right to exist and have their say, but they don’t represent the majority of people. I was at a Rotary meeting the other day . . .

Digger: Yes, but the people I’ve been talking to at Weemala don’t seem like a splinter group — .

Hodson: I could name the patients you’ve talked to if you want. I know who they are.

Digger: OK. But when I walked around the place with them they appeared to be popular with the others there and to have their support.

Hodson: That might be the case and it might not be. In any case, if they are dissatisfied they can express their dissatisfaction to me, or the Matron, or the Medical Superintendent.

Digger: Their point is that they can express dissatisfaction until the cows come home, but that doesn’t necessarily get them anywhere.

They’ve got no power to do anything about what they are dissatisfied about.

must be obtained before patients may leave the hospital at all times.

FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD W. HODSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 24th July, 1973 “You see,” Neil explains, “be­ cause of this complete insensitivity and sheer abuse of authority we’ve got to go public.

“This is their response to our attempt to live like human beings.

‘Two months ago the Chief Executive Officer, the Medical Superintendent, the new Matron, and a board member came down to Ward 10 to challenge us on certain things.

They don’t like our attitude.

“They came to complain that four of us had joined up with this body called Handicapped Citizen’s Support Group (HCSG) and gone to a night meeting without getting permission. “ I wouldn’t cop that. We were responsible people exercising normal rights. I told them to go to hell.

“Apparently Weemala is affiliated to the Australian Council for the Rehabiliatlon of the Disabled (ACROD). We didn’t know this until then. They were used to speaking for us to ACROD though they never told us. We only found out after we’d linked up with a group they don’t approve of. HCSG is more anti -establishment than ACROD. “Next thing we’ve got the curfew.

We don’t mind signing out and consulting staff about our move­ ments. But they expect us to ask for permission. “ As for the motorised wheel­ chairs. [There’s an old broken-down one and the one Patrick here has got.

That was unauthorised too. We decided it was what Pat needed. He couldn’t get about much in an ordinary one; now he handles the hospital paper-run with Steve.

“We arranged it with the local Lions club, but without asking the board’s permission. For us, getting a wheelchair is just the same as you going out to buy boots.

“This complete and total ban is stupid. There’s a woman upstairs, Jill Dennis, who was crippled in a diving accident, who’ll vegetate without one. She’s used Pat’s all right. But she’s not to have one.

“They’ve got a story about the place not being built for them and the traffic jams and accidents. They also want to protect us emotionally.

People think we will apparently feel envious about people who get them.

That was what they said originally about portable TVs in our rooms.

Christ, the presumption. All right — what if I do feel envious? Who doesn’t? Other people handle it and so will people like us.

“Despite all our handicaps, we’ve got minds and feelings like every­ body else. And a right to them, like anybody else . . .

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mystique. “There was this woman in here,” Neil recounts, “about 70, who wanted a tin leg. The doctors said it was hopeless. She’d never be able to handle it. She got it and fell over and broke her hip twice. But she walked out of here.”

Meanwhile, Steve is still working on getting a road worthy certificate. * sN* Steve was friendly with a nurse, who recently went to hospital for an appendix operation, and he visited her there. When she returned to duty one of the sisters in charge dressed her down for encouraging Steve.

“These people aren’t normal.”

Immediately transferred off Steve’s ‘floor, she was informed she’d be transferred to another hospital the next week. She has now resigned.

“So what if I got romantically involved?” Steve argues, “ I can learn to handle it. Say a couple are walking down the street and he gets hit by a motor car and ends up here, is that' supposed to be the end of it?”

Even more innocent relationships go the same way. A sister got Steve interested in bonsai. She applied for • “That board of directors is made permission to take Steve to classes up of local Liberal do-gooders she was going to. Not only was she refused but transferred a short time chasing their MBEs.” *** later.

Neil rejects the over-protective Most of the Weemala residents are on invalid pensions: about 40 dollars attitude as “ridiculous. They expect a fortnight goes in board and they us to be celibate. But we’re sexual get 15 dollars a fortnight for beings. That’s what they can’t handle.” themselves. *** Some of them want to work.

Crips are political beings too.

Steve is one. He saw this watch-repair course for crips on the TV and went f Weemala being in ex-P.M. McMahon’s ahead and applied. Ward 10 electorate, Ward 10 „and other weathered a visit from a detachment residents decided last year they’d do of authorities after they had learned j what they could to help ALP of the application and Steve was j candidate Bill Fisher toss McMahon.

They saw Fisher and he promised passed fit for the course.

But there was no response to the ! them posters, badges, leaflets and application. It transpired that the j stickers. When his agent arrived at authorities had told the course | the hospital offices he was turned people that Steve had no transport. j away.

They cried foul and the authori“Nobody asked me about that,” says j Steve. In fact Ward 10 had lined up a | ties relented. But there were to be no volunteer from the local Lions club j posters on hospital property. They I were banned. “But Hodson, the to provide transport.

After this information had been I Chief Executive Officer,” Barry passed on, there was still no progress. j complains, “stuck a McMahon poster Things were stymied by a hospital ! in his car which the hospital ruling that Steve could not travel by j provides.”

“And the hospital bus,” Neil adds, car. His bones were too fragile — a j “was used to ferry residents down to feature of ossium fragilitis. They j a reception put on by Sonia (Steve: might break. “ But road accidents can happen i ‘Yuk’) at which Kamahl (Barry: to anybody,” says Steve. “Besides, j ‘Yuk’) sang.” sfc the bones of people like me get I stronger as we get older.”

Weemala is one of three hospitals In Ward 10 they study their own which make up “The Royal Ryde condition and there is no medical Homes.” A private set-up, it is run by

Roarty.

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a board of directors, which is self-elective: when a director dies or retires, the board elects his or her successor. Neil Russ went to the 1972 annual general meeting where a Mrs White, who had been a director of 47 years, vas proclaimed President of the place. “ I’ve been here for 15 years and I’d never clapped eyes on her before that meeting,” Neil told me.

What’s wrong at Weemala stems, in Neil Russ’s view, from the differing conceptions of the place that each group involved in Weemala has. For the board, and the top executive staff, the place is a company and the resident patients are so many government subsidies.

For the nurses and wards'-people it is a hospital “and they provide probably the best physical nursing in Australia.” For the residents, it is a home.

There is of course no resident representative on the board. *** These residents are not ill but they are sick of being denied basic civil rights, of not being encouraged to self-reliance, and of having no say in the management of Weemala.

They want changes.

If Neil has the critique, Johnny Roarty has the alternative.

Johnny, a spastic from birth, came to Weemala when he was 16; he is now 52. He explains himself: “ I’m less radical than Neil and less optimistic. I’m fighting for those who come after me. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about how self-interested we are. It’s true of everybody in this society. On the other hand, in China everybody is working for the common good. I’m not going to give this fight away but I sometimes wish it was more like China.”

Johnny has been in contact for a number of years with the Cheshire Foundation, founded a quarter of a century ago by Group Captain Cheshire and a Mother Teresa, which now has over a 100 small homes for handicapped people scattered around the globe — though none in Australia.

Johnny gave me a pile of Cheshire Smiles, which is the Foundation’s magazine. With a name like that, you would expect it to put a good face on the Foundation’s operations and be a means to wheedle money out of charitable, respectable straights. No such thing. Recent issues have their share of snarls, clashes, and anger.

Le Court, in England, was the original Cheshire home. Johnny’s copy of the winter 1970 issue of Cheshire Smiles carries this account (and Johnny has underlined it) of what Le Court is like by David Martin, chairman of the residents’ committee there: “ Le Court is a place where residents have complete autonomy, self-determination and independence to a degree. By that I mean that within the bounds of our physical incapacity we can do just as we like “Where residents sit on the management and other committees, it is not just a token concession for the sake of appearances. It is not just ‘there, he’s a good boy — let him have his say, and we’ll do as we like anyway.’ Far from it. The residents’ voices and opinions are heard and taken notice of. Failure to do so would result in a very vocal outcry “ . . . Is there something special about the Le Court residents? Are they selected from, shall we say, a I better type of disabled person? Let me assure you —the answer to this is an emphatic ‘No’!”

That’s what Johnny wants for Weemala. *** I left a message with the secretary of Weemala’s boss: Chief Executive Officer Hodson. In time he rang back and after establishing with him what

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Digger was, and that it wasn’t exactly an RSL paper as he suspected, the conversation went something like this . . .

Digger: I’ve been talking to some residents and they’ve made some pretty serious charges about the way you run the show. I’d like your side of the story.

Hodson: Sorry, I don’t intend to answer questions from you.

Digger: Is that because I’m Digger or is that your usual response to the Press?

Hodson: I’m not accountable to the Press at all.

Digger: But 99 pe;cent of your finance is public money and some of our readers pay taxes. They’ve got a

\ I j Hodson: 1 pay taxes too. And a lot j more after last night’s budget.

Digger: But you are in effect a public \ institution and the public has the j right to answers. \ Hodson: Look, I don’t have to | answer questions from people who

Hodson: What, do you want this place to be like the university, where students tell the authorities what to do?

Digger: I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s the thing today for people to be involved in decision making.

Hodson: All journalists ever want to do is to air controversial things and scandals. There is so much good being done in the world by private charities and the Press never reports that.

Digger: But we want your side. So that our readers can weigh the evidence up themselves.

Hodson: Oh yes,, but you just came in here and talked to patients without asking my permission.

Digger: What’s the point?

Hodson: You wouldn’t go into a company and talk to its employees without first seeing the manager. Or into a school without paying the headmaster the courtesy of . . .

Digger: I can’t accept this. When I visit people who live in rented accommodation I don’t go to the landlord for permission . ..

Hodson: But why are you so interested in Weemala? Why don’t you investigate the State hospital at Lid com be or one of the ecclesiastical ones? Do you think they’d talk to you? Or agree to have patients running their hospitals?

Digger: I want to talk to you, because the specific charges we’ve heard are about Weemala.

Hodson: What have you heard?

Digger: Well, the edict about motorised wheelchairs . . . I’d like to hear your reasons for it. j Hodson: And these patients you’ve talked to, didn’t they tell you our reasons?

Digger: Yes. They gave their version.

They said you banned them because Weemala wasn’t built to handle them and also you wanted.to protect those who didn’t get them from the envy they’d feel about others having them.

Hodson: You seem to have the story you want, why don’t you write it?

Digger: But we want your side.

Hodson: And I’m not prepared to com m ent.

Besides, I’m not authorised to. I’ll only talk to you if I’m authorised to by the board of directors.

Digger: Well, can you give me the Chairman’s phone number then?

Hodson: You can look it up in the telephone book.

Digger: It would save me time if you told me.

Hodson: You .seem to have plenty of time. You’ve spent enough time up j here talking to residents . . . *** !

The chairman of the board is Alan j Scott, a chartered accountant up in the city.

He goes up to Royal Ryde Homes I once a month — usually the last | Thursday of the month — for an | all-day board meeting. “Everyone on the board chucks in and does their j bit,” he told me. “The ladies, who | often go to Weemala for a look I around, bring up things that need a bit of work on them, where paint is needed, what’s not working and so on.”

While he is keener to talk about the Coorabel part of Royal Ryde Homes which specialises in short­ term rehabilitation and therapy for car-accident victims, he was quite

willing to answer questions about Weemala.

Digger: What were the board’s reasons for imposing the curfew?

Scott: You see we have difficulties in getting staff and at night there is only what you would call a skeleton staff on duty. You can’t have people coming in at any old time, because it would put too much strain on that staff who have to undress them and get them ready for bed. As well as disturbing the other patients trying to sleep.

Digger: But the residents I’ve talked too are quite reasonable. They are willing to consider the , staff’s difficulties and consult them. What they don’t like is having to get permission to go out. That’s treating them like children.

Scott: I can see that. But the position was being abused by some before and the board had to consider the general interests of patients and staff.

Digger: The notice about the curfew that was circulated to residents was pretty •> threatening.

Threatening eviction for instance. Was that necessary?

Scott: I didn’t see that actual notice but there were some patients being intransigeant. Perhaps it’s irksome to them but it’s one of the conditions of treatment that they obey the rules.

Digger: The way I heard it was that the curfew was put on because the Chief Executive Officer and others in authority didn’t like the fact that a number of the residents had joined up with the Handicapped Citizens’ Support Group.

Scott: I don’t know anything about' that.

Digger: What were the reasons for the motorised wheelchair ban?

Scott: There’s a lot of problems connected with this. As Dr Vidot, our Medical Super., put it to me: say somebody is in one and has a spasm?

It gets out of control and that person — and perhaps others — gets badly hurt. We can’t have that. But we don’t wafnt to frustrate people who would really benefit . . . As for Jill Dennis’s case, we’ll reconsider that.

Diggey: At Beverly Park they have these motorised wheelchairs. Did the board look into that set-up?

Scott: No, not really. We were guided by Dr Vidot, Matron and Mr Hodson. But it’s under continuous review. We haven’t got closed minds, I hope.

Digger: You don’t think you should have talked these matters over with the people they affect — the residents?

Scott: I suppose so. But there are so few you can do that with. Most are mentally handicapped as well as physically.

Digger: But what about those not in intensive care?

Scott: Yes, it’s a problem of administering such a large set-up. I think we’ll soon have to divide off those who are not mentally handicapped and have a separate, different kind of place for them.

Digger: Yes . . . Another matter: I’ve been told that a nurse, who was friends with one of the residents, was visited by him when she was having her appendix out and when she returned to duty was dressed down by the matron for this, transferred off this resident’s floor and told she would be soon transferred to Coorabel. Though she resigned before that transfer. What’s the reason for this hostility to staffresident friendships?

Scott: I don’t know anything about that . .. that kind of thing doesn’t come to board level.

One thing that went up to the board meeting on August 30 was the ban on motorised chairs and Jill Dennis’ request for one. Once again the ban was affirmed. “ Roughly a month ago,” Neil Russ sent a letter about the cUrfew and ban on motorised chairs to the Regional Administrative Officer of the Health Commission, the body nominally in charge of outfits like the Royal Ryde Homes.

On August 29 he received this reply: Dear Neil Russ, Thank you for your recent letter regarding a recent circular issued to staff and patients at Weemala. I wish to advise that inquiries are being made into the matters raised by you.

Yours faithfully, W.A. Godsell.

That’s all.

The last question I asked Neil Russ was why he was a militant.

With a slight but swift turn of his head, he threw a glance in the direction of the hospital administra­ tion’s plush offices. “They left me no bloody choice.”

September 8 — October 6, 1973

Page 5

THE DIGGER

Since 1939 a husband and wife team of scientists has been working on photographing the auras of living objects.

They have developed a simple technique that makes a leaf, for example, photograph as a mass of intricate energy bubbles.

A leaf that’s had a section cut out of it will still produce an image where the material is missing — the energy field remains, a ghost image.

A damaged leaf will show irregular energy bubbles but these will return to normal if a person used to dealing with plants “lays a hand” over the leaf.

One tentative theoretical explanation of these auras is that there exists something labelled bio-plasma — a fourth state of matter. Whatever it is doesn’t behave like solids, liquids or gases, It organises itself in a specific spatial arrangement in each species, like the (blood) circulation system, but it has no obvious relationship to other body systems. As Weberman says in the article below (reprinted from London’s It no. 157), the mysterious body system arranges itself in centres that correspond to the 700 points of the acupuncture chart.

At Expo ’67 a Russian exhibited a tobiscope — an instrument using Kirlian photographic methods to pinpoint acupuncture

Kirlian photography meets Freak America:

i j

Capturing the vibe on film become contaminated/by their own ugly auras.

But many freaks have come up with perfect Kirlian photos, such as the ones printed here and taken

by Dr; Sunshine. Dig the one of the leaf, No. 1 — this one was termed ‘the best Kirlian photo of a leaf I’ve seen outside the Soviet Union’ by Russian bionics researcher Victor Ademenko. Little did Victor know he was looking at a marijuana leaf —a substance which the National Institute of Mental Health admits caused — ‘an increased brilliance and width of emanations’ in the aura of people who smoke it! Picture No. 2 is a side-view of Dr. Sunshine’s penis.

Perhaps this fascination with corona-like discharges comes from cellular wisdom which tells us that rather than ending at our skin we l emerge into the universe through j a layer of energy of an as-yet un­ determined nature.

This ‘field’ , can be photographed by sending a high frequency, high voltage current surging through the object being studied while it is placed up against color photographic film in a totally dark environment.

All living things photographed in this or a similar fashion almost al­ ways exhibits a particular pattern Kirlian photographs of popularly acclaimed healers who work of radiation which changes with the by the laying on of the hands show very distinct changes — inner state of the plant or organism. the auras around their hands concentrate into clear beams of Inanimate objects, on the other hand, whatever the energy is, passing from the hands to the afflicted always exhibit the same configu­ ration. After taking into account body.

The Kirlian story is 34 years long, but it’s only now creeping , dehydration etc. establishment scien­ tists are beginning to realise that into the sacred area of scientific “respectability”.

A. J. Weberman reports on some freakier aspects of the I something is happening here and they don’t know what it is.

Kirlian discovery: Perhaps the reason for this is that Amerikan medicine, having be­ come corrupt and unimaginative,

by A. J. Weberman to depict by painting ‘auras’ around overlooked this area for decades . . .

‘I fell into a burning ring of their heads. while Russia’s researchers scrutinised fire’ wailed Johnny Cash to the Sailors have described a similar it. In fact, the name of this process — kids in the early ’60’s and the image phenomenon during which bluish Kirlian photography — comes from stuck long enough in their minds flames would hover about the sharp its Soviet inventors, Semyon Davido­ to give him a number one smash or pointed structures of their ships vich and Valentina Kirlian. hit.

Now Amerikan technocrats, and called it St. Elmo’s Fire. This This was no accident. Human­ occurence was so much a part of frightened by the so-called ESP gap, kind has had rings of fire on the maritime history that Shakespeare have begun to study this phehombrain for some time now; the Bible personified it in The Tempest as enon but aren’t making much head­ speaks of a bush encircled by flame Ariel ‘an airy spirit’ that boards way.

This is coz they have pig vibes that was ‘consumed’ and of flames ships — ‘. . . now in the beak . . . that appeared on the 12 Apostles the deck, in every cabin, I flame that interfere with the life energy of the universe. So their photos which Renaissance artists attempted in amazement’.

Dr. Arlo discovers the orign

thought wave energies are detected “ by géométrie vectoring (using cyrogenic sensors)” , and amplified using a computer. Conventional electrical amplification, it seems, produces too much distortion, “ however, it is now possible to increase the ratios of amplitude and frequency by the use The frequency of pulsation is IOV2 | cycles per second, corresponding to of computer technology without dis­ torting the orign” . (‘Orign’ is the term the frequency of strong alpha waves used by Arlo to describe the originat­ in the brain. The subject/sender enters ing thought signal.) the cavity and acclimatises himself The sending and receiving cavities to the “stimulated electro-encephalic are connected by coaxial cable. In environment.” the receiving cavity (presumably) the “ I have to point out that the sender/ j subject, having first of all attuned receiver must acclimatise to the en- j vironment otherwise he or she will i himself to the alpha pulsations suffer a trauma,” warns Dr. Arlo. ; around him, perceives the modula­ tions of these pulsations caused by “ The reason for this1 is that there L the origns of" the transmitting sub­ is a certain feeling o f ‘flowing out’ — ! ject; and translates them back into it’s an egoless state. When a person thoughts in his own brain. is in this state he can no longer To judge from the Gothic Times distinguish where skin ends and the mind begins; if the sender/receiver article, however, Dr. Arlo’s enthusi­ does not get used to this feeling, asm for his thought transmission he may not be able to handle it system is a little naive. “ I think that large corporations like Bell Telephone and literally ‘flip out’.” will get interested,” he predicts Assuming, however, that the sub­ hopefully, and foresees the day when ject successfully acclimatises to the “ people will be able to walk into a pulsations, “he is then in a strong store and buy an acoustic cavity just alpha state and will be able to control like they can buy a stereo over the the electro-magnetised cavity and be­ counter now.” Having perverted, for gin producing thought wave vibrations profit, the immense potential of according to the mental images being earlier, simpler, thought-transmission created.” systems (like films, radio and TV), In a process that is not .entirely ; the big corporations should have clear from the Gothic Times j little difficulty in turning the tele­ article (though research papers are j pathy into a similar vehicle for mind­ said to be available on request), the I less, empty triviality. frequency and amplitude of the j —Eddies.

D ial- a - telepath A thought transmission system that could make telepathy as simple as an ordinary telephone call appears to have been developed by a certain Dr. Raymond Arlo of the Media Department of Jersey City State College in the United States.

According to Gothic Times — the College’s student newspaper, which claims it is the first publication anywhere to announce the discovery — Dr. Arlo has applied for a patent on a method of “ interduction of mental energisms” between sending and receiving subjects located in “electro-encephalic cavities” and connected to one another by cable.

The cavities, it seems, are “ environ­ ments in which the human senders and receivers will be placed during transmission and reception of mess­ ages. These cavities are very similar to Faraday cages used in electrical experiments in classical physics.”

They are made in geometric forms ranging from 16 to 20 feet in size, in shapes ranging from simple cubes and spheres to complex dodecahedra. The cavities are constructed of wood and plastic, and are wired with copper wiring. They are also provided with sound and light systems so that a “ synchronised pulsation of sound, light and electricity can be achieved.”

Bungled gurucide

Rock industry starts lobbying:

Rock musos try for union power, tour restrictions offered to present a submission on this the next time the Award came 4" before the court.

On Sunday, August 18 over 60 Doug Parkinson, Phil Manning and rock musicians accepted the invita­ The Union’s solution to this was others spoke up about another prob­ tion ■of the Professional Musicians’ Uni^n to attend a special meeting to encourage union, membership lem facing the Australian industry. (necessary to enforce the Award), Overseas groups with big names were to discuss “ mutqal problems”.

The generation and culture gap introduce licensing of agents, and; coming*■ivith such regularity that between thé union officials and thé have musicians paid directly where they wefe using tip thei5res&Urbes rockers was apparent. A ruddy-faced they worked and the agent’s fee available for performed rock in this official explained patronisingly how paid separately. Queensland musicians country. Doug Parkinson wanted a he liked “ Mod” music and at the had already decided not to work in “ one for one” agreement as existed close of the meeting the Secretary any place where they were not to be in the USA and Britain whereby thanked the boys for being so well paid directly but through an agent. an overseas group would be admitted behaved — there had been doubts, Some agents at the meeting explained only if the overseas country was he said, about allowing them into the that they paid the award but were prepared to admit an Australian Union’s lovely new headquarters. The often undercut by groups going direct group. The Union officials believed gap was not one-sided; one child of to promoters and publicans.. One a delegation on this issue to the the fifties thought union was a dirty young musician claimed that an un­ Immigration Department would re­ word as unions were responsible for known group like his would not get ceive a favorable response from the most of the country’s problems. Only work if they demanded the award. Labor government. about a quarter of those present Barry Sullivan of Chain said he had It became obvious that the rock were union members. been in the industry for ten years musos expected some kind of re­ The discussion showed how and was still confronted with the presentation on the union especially if they were going to ask their musicians were financially exploited. same problem.

They were often paid less than the The Award itself is inadequate friends to become members. They award rate because they had to take for rock groups as there is no allow­ were assured that with their numbers the only work they could get. In ance for expensive equipment, road they would be able to elect committee many cases one or more agents would managers and transport. The Union members at the next elections. As extract their fees from muso’s wages, reducing them to beneath award level.

by Mick de Young

710 GLENFERRIE ROAD, HAWTHORN. 3122 VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Burn down the mission The Divine Light Mission con­ tinues in its state of bliss now that Bal Bhagwa Ji — the young and gifted intellectual, brother to con­ troversial Guru Maharaj Ji and heir apparent to Ji family-city Prem Nagar, since his father’s death al­ most eight years ago — is reputedly on his way to Australia.

Mad specualtion suggests that his Youngness, Guru MJ will also visit Australia, shortly thereafter. The Mission in Melbourne has booked Dallas Brooks Hall auditorium at the Melbourne headquarters of the Free­ mason’s Lodge, for September 21.

The premies’ plan for Dallas Brooks includes Sydney band Kush (of which all members have taken Knowledge), celestial lighting, dancing and dahlias, all given life by the guest star, Bal Bhagwa Ji. Satsang will be served liberally.

Meanwhile, dark forces from the Phantom Zone seem at work in America. Last month a yippie re­ porter from a Detroit underground newspaper,, a certain Pat Halley, threw a pie in the face of the pudgy 15-year-old holy boy. A few days later Halley was beaten, up at his home by two people described by Yippie sources as “ Gurunoids” . Hal­ ley was released from hospital in a satisfactory condition last week.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the two Detroit DLM mem­ bers although at the time of the bashing Malley’s paper said he would

The Good Doctor wants you to know that he made a great sacrifice for science by sticking his ‘moose’ on the Kirlian device since an electric shock is involved in the process.

As he puts it — ‘Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire’. He also asked me to point out that this photo must be blown-up several times to even approximate scale! Notice the intri­ cate energy patterns around the head.

Keep in mind while you’re study­ ing these electro-photographs that you’re digging a three-dimensional event in two-dimensional aspect and adjust your mind to compensate for this.

What does it all mean? Some think that there is a relationship between these many bionic fields; with each other and with the uni­ verse. They use this ‘construct’ as a way of explaining biocommunication

not press charges. They would, in­ stead, “ Publicise where these two punks live and let the people take care of it.”

The two “ Gurunoids” are believed to have fled the state and taken sanctuary among other followers in Chicago or Denver.

Although the Detroit Yippies have, so far staged no reprisals, their New York counterparts have. Yippies there attacked the Divine Sales store — operated by DLM — and raised hell.

Police were called to break-up the fight in the street outside. A spokes­ person for the yippies said there would be further reprisals, not just in New York but all over the country. “ It’s all out war,” he declared.

Last weekend Guru Maharaj Ji was admitted to hospital for com­ plete rest, near his Denver head­ quarters. The Guru has just con­ cluded a tour that tooic him to Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and other cities. Latest reports from his hospital bedside suggest he is suffering from an ulcer.

On the home front, the former inhabitants of Ashram No. 1 (cnr.

Faraday and Cardigan Streets, Carl­ ton [Vic.]) are without theirs. They vacated the ashram and are currently “in transit” . Most are staying at the South Yarra home of one premie’s mother, while the lady is overseas.

B o o k m a ste r s

Phil Manning

the elections were a year away it was decided that those present would elect a sub-committee to present the problems of the rock industry to the Musicians’ Union Committee in Sep­ tember.

Ph: 819 1282

SCIENCE FICTION, ECOLOGY, RADICAL EDUCATION, SOCIOLOGY, SUPERNATURAL,~ FILMS, etc.

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The Mission is also hunting for a j ‘mansion <with grounds” to accom- j modate Guru MJ and attendants, when he finally comes. “ Something nice,” blissed one spokesperson. “ We’re prepared to pay 150 dollars a week in rent.”

The old ashram was assailed re­ cently, reportedly by the followers of a one-time University student, now turned drop-out mystic and passing as Guru Hewett. Gr. Hewett who claims to be in a state of total alienation, boasts at least one full­ time admirer and a retinue of en­ thusiasts bordering on double figures.

•K

Hewett’s propaganda campaign has hinged, to date, on a box of chalk left over from ap old SRC election.

His devotees used that chalk late last month to decorate the DLM ashram with slogans and diagrams.

On the same night a warm house brick was hurled through the parlor Window by another ex-student, under the influence of booze. The loyal Mahatma Ji was upstairs dispensing Knowledge at the time. The missile landed squarely on a sleeping premie’s fair young head. No hospitalisation was necessary —in fact she is reputed to have hardly felt it fall.

—AJ. Digger acknowledges receipt o f three letters — all very similar but none quite the same from officers o f DLM. Thank you Julie, Ray and Derek.

(‘ESP’), psychokinetics (‘levitation’) nnd cosmobiology (‘astrology’), and believe that what we are observing is the psychic energy that mystics and clairvoyants have written about for centuries. Some feel that Descarte’s mechanistic view of the uni­ verse, where everything is merely a cogin some cosmic machine, should be re-evaluated. Scientists have also been able to identify acupuncture points through Kirlian photography and the same bionic system may be involved.

A good book on this subject is Galaxies o f Life edited by S. Krappner and D. Rubin (Gordon and Breach, 42 William IV Street, London WC2) available in paperback or hard-cover. The book contains | plans for building your own Kirlian ! device.

As we get closer and closer to unlocking the secrets of life there is always the problem of the key falling into the wrong hands. The scum that rule this country (the USA) want to use Kirlian photo­ graphy to control us! Studies have been started to employ it as an anti-skyjacking measure by taking Kirlian photos of everyone who buys an airline ticket. If the pigs don’t dig your aura then they don’t let you on the ’plane. But the Kirlian process involves a mild shock so the plan will probably have to be abandoned. „ Even the Mafia is getting into the - picture — their collection men now say — ‘Pay aura else’!

uè

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Page 6

Today (Friday, September 7) is the first day of Gay Pride Week. The Gay Liberation Front plans public meetings, speakouts, dances, poetry and films, demonstrations, leaflets, meet­ ings with school kids and with the parents of gays., press con­ ferences and plenty of zaps and surprises. It’s both a confronta­ tion and a celebration.

(For a list of Gay Liberation contact, see pages 11-12.)

You may have never thought about homosexuals. You may hate or fear or ridicule them.

But from here on, they’re not going to let you ignore them.

The Gay Liberation Front began to take shape here a year ago. Getting its initial impetus from university campuses, the Gay movement began with a clean break from the closetqueen camp scene. Its first cry was “Come out!” Gay Liberationists want their sisters and brothers to declare their homo­ sexuality, to stop thinking of it as a sickness or a sin or a crime, to start rejoicing in it.

Words like “queer” have been discarded. “Camp” gives way to “gay”. “Poofter” becomes a name gay men wear with a kind of wry pride.

Women wear badges saying “I am a lesbian” and walk hand

Fonch Hawkes and Helen Garner talk with a group of gay women and men.

Digger: In what sense do you see coming out as a political act?

Sue: It means coming out of a closet — out of the beats, and into the streets. You stop hiding your homosexuality; but coming out isn’t necessarily an open avowal of it. An open, public avowal is more traditionally political - it’s standing up and being counted, saying, “I’m a homosexual and what are you gonna do about it?”

There are degrees. The very first coming out is admitting to yourself that you’re homosexual. Next you tell your friends, your parents, the people you work with. And after that maybe you make a big open avowal, going on demos and not caring who sees you or takes your photo.

David: I was living in a totally straight world, with a whole lot of heads. I occasionally used to go on the beat. It never occurred to me to tell anyone I was camp, because I felt incredibly guilty. I knew they’d be really tolerant: “It’s OK, man, but don’t talk about it.” I started reading some Gay Lib. papers from America and talking to some camp guys, and I realised what a ridiculous situation I was in, maintaining two separate existences. I was internal­ ising anti-me values. I had to tell myself my sexuality was valid. Then coming out was a natural step. I told almost everyone I knew — my mother, my friends. My mother kept saying, “ I love you just the same.”

Sue: I left home. My parents were discussing it at the dinner table —“Is she, or not?” and my sister said yes.

Now they say, “Come home — you can bring a friend if you like.” But my sister — it’s different if she wants to come and stay at my house. And once they said to her, “You’re not picking up her habits.” My sister and I swap stories . . . same as having a boyfriend. I think she thinks it’s groovy to have a sister who’s a lesbian.

Simeon: Yeah, it’s like with my brother. There’s no real under­ standing, he says “Oh, Simeon’s always been eccentric.”

Sue: My sister went to a Gay Lib dance and she really enjoyed it.

David: A lot of people say, “He just screws guys rather than girls.” In that way they’re treating you just like anyone else — they don’t deal with

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in hand in defiance of stares and abuse. Drag is coming out of the gay bars. Radicalesbians hold a weekend conference at a sedate seaside boarding house and make no pretence of straightness. Spray signs flower all over the walls of the inner city: Lesbians are lovely! Gay Liberation

is gonna g et y o u !

Gays go into schools, brushing aside the ditherings of prin­ cipals, and talk openly with kids who’ve never heard it said that poofters and lesos are any­ thing but sick, dangerous or ridiculous.

There has been a steady trend to the left, towards more out­ rageous and effective action.

Lesbians who, like straight wo­ men in political groups, felt they were not being taken into account in a male-dominated organisation, started their own rap and action groups with a strong feminist line. The hesi­ tancy of gay men to launch into consciousness-raising meant that for a time the women were the most vocal and organ­ ised element in the gay move­ ment. A strong and active Mel­ bourne group of Radicalesbians some months ago produced the M elbourne F em inist C ollection and a pirate edition of M onster,

oppression.

■Jenny: It’s difficult when you’re talking with straights to know how much to stress that you are oppressed, while at the same time making it clear that you think being homosexual is valid, and good.

Simeon: People say homosexuals aren’t happy. I once heard a straight doctor pointing out that homo­ sexuals are at dis-ease with them­ selves — he was talking as if homosexuality were a condition which in itself necessitates un­ happiness, whereas the enormous social pressure on homosexuals is what’s responsible for this dis ease.

Digger: I started to understand social disapproval when I was having a scene with women. We’d be walking down the street and I’d feel like taking her hand or putting my arm round her — like I’d do with a man without even thinking about it — but every time something stopped me dead in my tracks. It’s as if you censor yourself before anyone else can.

Sue: When you’re feeling fine and high, it’s easy to be defiant, but if you’re feeling down . . .

John: There’s a taboo anyway against men touching each other, in the street or anywhere.

Digger: That’s something that always amazes me — the way men who I know are really close friends, who really love each other, will greet each other or say goodbye, at the airport for example, by shaking hands.

Simeon: Ross and I went to see a film, and on the way out of the theatre we just naturally put our arms round each other. Someone said, “Oh, they’re boyfriends” —and immediately there was an incredible pressure on us, not wanting to break away from each other because, after all, it’s political —and so we went on holding each other’s arms stiffly and self-consciously, and felt terrible.

Sue: Around the university, everyone is really cool about it. But in Noble Park once we were playing pool, and three heavies came in and were staring at us. We said, “Can’t women play pool?” They started making a lot of smart remarks. Then one of them said, “Whose turn is it tonight?”

Jenny : In the same way as it is more accepted for a girl to be a tomboy than for a boy to be a sissy; there’s sometimes a grudging admiration for a butch lesbian.

John: Straight males see homo­ sexuals as an insult to then masculinity — so they remove you,

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Box 77

a book of poems by American feminist Robin Morgan which has changed the heads of many people, straight, gay and un­ aligned.

An American magazine, The D ouble F, has in the last few weeks jolted the local gay scene with its E ffe m in ist M a n ifesto , a document written by three New York faggots who reject the term “gay” because they also reject the Gay Liberation movement. They say it is maledominated, anti-woman in its approval of drag, and gutless and counter-revolutionary in allowing itself to be exploited by the owners of gay bars and other establishments that ripoff homosexuals. “(No) minute of any male’s life goes by without his touching something stained with the sweat or blood or suffering of women, something that belongs to him or benefits him .. Even lying in his bed at night, utterly alone, not even moving, he re­ mains steeped in the oppression of women.”

The Effeminists reject con­ sciousness-raising groups for men, believing that they merely consolidate male bonding, the “gang-ness” of men, which is one of the very aspects of

i maleness that most oppress women.

The literate and angry rhetoric of the M a n ifesto and the Effeminists’ magazine argues that women must seize power and that gay men can do nothing but be traitors to their own oppressing sex and submit to the rule of women.

The rage of gay people, like that of blacks and women, is the hardest thing for their oppressors to handle. Who, me?

I’ve never oppressed anyone in my life!

One man reading Jocelyn Clarke’s piece on this page, couldn’t get past her sentence “There are even two men so far from being men that I can love them.”

“What does she m ean?” he cried. “I refuse to be classed among the men she hates. I’m not like them.”

could relate to. But it’s not only ideological. It has to be emotional as well.

Jenny: In gay or, really camp scenes there was no place for women. For me — I didn’t like heavy chauv males, but I couldn’t play it right. But I still wanted to be in with men, because I understood that was real. (That’s the way I saw it then). I suppose I was a fag-hag. I spent my time with gay men — cooked with them, shopped together for our clothes and so on — but that didn’t leave much of a possibility. I fucked with a woman after a dance. I knew there was a possibility. It was a limited social scene . . . yeah, but like who? Sleep­ Gays are no longer prepared to ing with Frances didn’t mean I was take straights’ criticism of their going to sleep with the woman I was methods, or of their mode of flatting with, and I was rapt in her. expression. To hide their anger, Sue: It was a matter of getting an to adopt a calm and rational emotional response. tone of voice., would be to Jenny: The idea was to work it out deny the reality of what they politically.

I didn’t even relate to guys well. feel. They don’t want to per­ Sue: I didn’t play the stereotype well; and suade us. They want to take then I got into feminism. I asked, us by storm.

Why do I have to think about only relating to men? After the intellect­ ual decision it removes the barrier against having a real reaction to a person of the same sex. they turn you into a woman, it's the Simeon: I can talk about it in terms of the guy I live with. We both freak Digger: About the beat — what same with butch lesbians . .. straight men are insulted because the lesbian out when the couple scene is threat­ does it mean? How do you feel ened. But with one guy I fucked about fucking with strangers? Do doesn’t want to sleep with them, and so they turn her into a man. with, we managed to get together you ever see them again? at least and talk about how we felt, David: It’s just a convenient way of Jenny: That role playing still persists and all felt much better about it. getting a screw. The only trouble in homosexual, relationships, though David: There’s a lot of pressure on is that there is so much bullshit: not so much in Gay Liberation. In you in the house not to be a couple. often they won’t tell you their name, pre-liberation days, butch and fern But I don’t think Gay Lib. wants to or they make up some story. There’s were categories you were supposed destroy the idea of couples — only so much guilt. If there wasn’t, the to fit into to. There was even a word to show that there are more al­ beat would be great.

— kiki — for a lesbian who didn’t fit Digger: But isn’t that strictly genital ternatives _available. either role, but just liked women sex, and don’t you objectify the sexually.

Digger: Is there fear of lesbians other person?

John: We’ve always been told to be within the women’s movement?

David: Most people just want a homosexual was a sickness, a sin or a Sue: We went along to a women’s release. And in that sense it’s really crime. The only stereotypes society movement meeting thinking we’d frustrating. allows are masculine or feminine. initiate a discussion of lesbianism and Digger: Do you ever form relation­ Sue: Does this role stuff apply with feminism — we expected bad ships with people you meet on the gay men? We know so little about reactions, like the things we’ve read beat? each other! about happening in the American David: I’ve had relationships with Simeon: Yeah — when gay men and movement — but it didn’t happen people, several times. On the beat gay women talk to each other it’s that way. It’s not so bad here. you meet people you’ve met before. often a matter of asking. “Well, what Jenny: It shouldn’t become heavy — The game is not to acknowledge do you actually do?” like “You won’t need child care, you you’ve fucked, been in an intimate David: In traditional homosexual won’t need abortions if you’re a situation together. In the Effeminist relationships, one would be the man. lesbian? magazine someone says, “ How can As far as fucking goes the man never an army of losers love each other?”

Sue: Of course the movement is gets fucked.

I’m basically conditioned to be a Simeon: We still objectify people in factionalised — but not so much* in loser.

Melbourne as it is in Sydney. that way.

Digger: But if you think that, you’re Digger: Do gays have the same jenny: Gay women have spoken in not building on your strengths, on trouble as straight women who are straight women’s groups. I’m scared what you’ve already achieved. You’re trying to get away from roles? people will think I’m a sort of not taking control of your own life.

Women are often too submissive to specimen lesbian . . . even that I’m Simeon: In a sense I know I do have likely to make a pass at them. initiate a fuck. a control. And it freaks me. But I Sue: In the early days of the gay Sue: We don’t have any models in think it’s a really positive thing, women’s group, it was really difficult ordinary society. The only women for women to know how to initiate around calling themselves lesbians in Digger: How do you feel about the things — between people of the same the days before Gay Liberation were specialness of being gay? How do your straight friends handle some­ sex there are no ritualised signals as butch.

John: There’s no positive image of thing like your coming out? there are between heterosexuals.

Simeon: There is almost a ban homosexuals. A void — most Simeon: Straights I know still see it against getting off with someone else homosexuals live in this kind of void as an aberration. It’s as if they’re saying, “It’s cool, but don’t let it in Gay Liberation . . . because we all their lives. affect your real life.” They say, have given up the established camp Sue: But there are male identity rituals, people just don’t get off. And symbols — what about Shakespeare? “You’re different since you’ve been fucking isn’t a transcendental thing. John: They don’t tell you that at in Gay Liberation.” What they mean You might want to fuck with school. The only identity figures we is, “You’re no longer a sort of house someone, but you don’t dare to have are people like Robert Help­ queer.” They don’t understand how approach him, so you get all tense mann. Where does this leave me? I’m they’re oppressing me, how different it is being a poofter, how this alters not into the arts! and have another drink. my perception of my maleness, of Simeon: It’s really important for David: The whole thing of objec­ tifying people .. . who you get off kids in school to see that poofters them, of society — how it’s with — it has to be Mr Right, Mr aren’t fucked-up, neurotic people. radicalised my whole view of society.

I’d like them to see there are al­ David: Straights still have assump­ Body Beautiful.

Digger: Is Gay Liberation trying to ternatives in sexual preferences. When tions about you which it’s uncool for you’re teaching, sometimes you realise them to express. break down the idea of couples?

Jenny: You know you’re not there are a couple of kids who are Sue: Straights automatically assume supposed to couple, but you are — homosexuals — and you don’t know you’re heterosexual, at first. It’s not just because you are around every­ quite what to do about it, pos­ a blatant thing, often, but they assume everyone conforms. itively. where together.

Simeon: Becayse straights aren’t Digger: You find your behaviour running against your own principles, Digger: How did you get into sexually stigmatised, they don’t feminism? understand how your conceptual so you feel guilty.

John: It’s as if you shouldn’t fuck Sue: Reading American stuff, feeling framework is different, how differ­ my conditioning, breaking it down. ently you view the world. There’s an with the same person more than As I became interested in feminism enormous gap between gays and three times a week. there were fewer and fewer men I straights. You feel gauche, awkward,

(This is a hypothetical letter in that it is not addressed to anyone in particular. It could be the sort of letter written to any number of straight friends. As it stand it is an amalgamation of ideas and feelings expressed by a number of people.

In gay pride and love, David Martin Simeon Kronenberg.)

Well, I came out three months ago — I told you that I was gay and had become involved in gay libera­ tion - and you said that that was cool, that it wouldn’t change the way you related to me at all. I remember at the time being relieved, even elated at what seemed to be accept­ ance — acceptance of my whole personality including that part of me that I had had to suppress for virtually all my life - my homo­ sexuality. Well, that elation was OK, but now I see a distancing occurred that has since widened into a gulf.

Letter to a straight brother You still maintain that you regard me now as you have always done: as a friend (the implication being that the gulf is entirely in my own mind).

Let’s accept for a moment that this is true; I remain fox you the same old friend. I must now reject that old friendship simply because it was a friendship based on a glaring and for-me a tortuous dishonesty.

But now that dishonesty has been revealed and we have both changed.

I have chosen to assert and explore my sexuality openly and perhaps aggressively; you have become tense, wary when we talk.

Your tension means presumably that you are uneasy in a way that you weren’t before. Somehow my coming out has intimidated you,

and put strains on all sorts of assump­ tions you had about you and me.

The same process has occuired in my head too, the result is my unreal concentration on ‘outside events’ when I talk with you. I avoid talking of my pain or doubts, afraid to bring into the open the real conflicts I think lie behind your ‘it’s cool’ attitude. And afraid too that I may be reinforcing some sort of denying prejudice you have that homosexuals are neurotic or destructive or what­ ever. I don’t want to become for you the living embodiment of a social stigma you deny publicly but I suspect secretly believe.

Why do you continue to make jokes about “ poofters”?

offensive, if you make this gap clear.

But you have to say, “Look, I don’t care if I offend you. You’ve shat on me for 25 years” . . . and they don’t know what you’re talking about.

Stie: It’s not enough to say, “It’s cool to be gay” . They have to change themselves. As long as straights perpetuate sex roles, they’re still oppressing me.

Simeon: I’ve wiped straight men for 12 months. I resent the day-tripping attitude of some of my straight friends who, when they see me, come up and kiss me just because it’s groovy. They don’t behave like that towards their other friends. They seem to be saying, “I’ll get off with a guy, and then I’ll understand.”

Digger: I’ve seen them at parties treating gays in an indulgent and patronising way.

Simeon: They like to say, “My best friends are poofters” . They have a few at every party, sprinkled liberally.

Simeon: Arguing with old friends who are straight is awful. I know if I get them into a corner I know they’re going to come out against me. “ But it’s all a matter of economics,” they say. They reckon it’s better than it used to be, and it’ll go on getting better. They reckon it’s best to sit back and be cool until the great left revolution comes. Some of these people who’ve toyed with the idea of gay relationships anyway.

Sue: Left wing people are afraid the gay activists will split the movement.

But if they only knew — this IS the revolution.

David: “ Oppression is all in your head,” they say.

Simeon: Yeah — “ I understand your problem,” they say. “I had trouble telling my parents I was living with my girlfriend.”

Jenny: Knowing the struggle I went through myself, to accept my own homosexuality, I can’t believe that straight friends who say “It’s cool” have really changed their attitudes. It can’t be that easy. I know it’s not. It just doesn’t ring true.

When a straight friend who’s living with a guy tells me her troubles and asks me, “What can I do?” and I say, “Try relating to women, that would cut out a few hassles”, this is seen as being heavy. It would be OK if I said “Go away for a month” — but if I say “Think about women” , it’s heavy. I’ve made my minority choice, and when I talk about it I’m seen as trying to co-opt people to my lot.

Sue: It’s OK to be yourself, people say — but don’t try to recruit — that’s a polite word for seduce people to your particular brand of sexuality.

Simeon: For tactical reasons, should we restrict our relationships with straights, and just do our own thing?

David: (to the women) Do you only spend your time with other lesbians?

And are all the women in the Radicalesbians actually gay, or do some only say they are?

Sue: You can be gay in your head — it’s a matter of feeling the oppression. To put all the emphasis on physical things is playing their game. When the women who did the spray jobs on the Braddock signs were picked up, one of the cops asked them, “Are you lesbians, or are you just mixed up?”

Another hassle you have in your mind about fucking with women, when it first occurs to you as a real possibility, is the old thing — will you do the right thing, sexually — will you perform? You are not supposed to react to women — and when you find out that you can, and stop being afraid, you go round looking at the world in a new way. It takes a while to learn to let yourself flow.

What is your reaction to one of blatant and effeminate brothers walking down the street?

Would I be as acceptable to you if I was more like them?

What is it you’re afraid of when a homosexual touches you?

How could you not share these prejudices given that the public image of the homosexual has always been one of deviance, perversity, sickness, etc.

You being straight have had no pressing need to examine these be­ liefs. Indeed, being a man you have good reason to maintain them. They are your power, your justification.

I do want to bridge that gap between us; you are, after all, my brother.

I want to be able to talk with you person to person, but at the moment, while you retain your power, your male supremacy, and while my brothers and sisters willfully accept their oppression I will not be able to.

September 8 — October 6, 1973

Page 7

w eek Top: You have to understand that it's different to be a poofter.

Centre: Melbourne Radioalesbians.

Bottom: Bill: “Wearing drag freaks people out; it's a political act.

Right: Female sexuality isn't just a response to a man.

Digger: It seems that men realise Simeon: There used to be a lot of earlier than women that they are gay. resentment among gays against Perhaps it’s because there’s no such bisexuality — it was seen as safe, thing as a stereotype of a woman because someone who declared homosexual. themselves bi was half normal. But David: I think it goes back to the that resentment has to be broken fact that women aren’t supposed to down too, because any categorisation have any sexuality. of sexuality is oppressive.

Simeon: Neither are poofters.

Jenny: I know women who are David: Yeah, but we’re still men. relating to men, or living with them, Simeon: I always knew I was and Whose experience is still relevant interested in men. I thought about to our patterns. myself as being different, but I didn’t Sue: The people who affect us most have a word for it. Then I read the are people who are apparently chang­ D.J. West book Homosexuality. ing, but whose basic attitudes aren’t Digger: What’s that? really changing at all.

Jenny: It’s the Penguin book. You Digger: What about discrimination in know how Penguin is the book on jobs, and housing? any subject you want to find out about — and then you read the one about yourself.

David: When I was 13, I was too scared to pick up that book in the shop. I was frightened that everyone in the shop would see me and immediately know. I’ve been getting off with guys since I was 14.

Digger: What does the book say?

Sue: Oh, the usual. It equates aberration with evil.

Jenny: It’s one of the classic books

by Jocelyn Clarke with that much (indicating a tiny We are all so fucked up by our fraction) about lesbians.

Sue: We don’t have much idea of experience of male politics that when what our identity is, in school. We a woman says something about her don’t have the models that straight own feelings we think that she is people do. “laying down policy” for the Simeon: And you’re so isolated from movement, giving the “correct ideo­ each other. I thought I was the only logical line” . This is not a directive to person in the world lusting after radical feminists. It is simply what I boys. When I was 17 1 met a queen at think about men. work. I talked a lot with him and There are a lot of men I like, visited his house where he lived with most of them gay. And I have talked another guy. I even asked, “Why to (three) men who appeared to have have you only got one bed?” I knew a good understanding of feminism. they were homosexuals, but it didn’t Before I say they do understand, I occur to me that they slept together. would like to check with the women Finally I made the connection they live with. There are even two between myself and them. men who are so far from being men David: I was attracted to men from that I can love them. The difference when I was 14, but I didn’t label i with them is that they don’t make myself until I was 17. I was picked me feel as if I’m in a sixty-round up on a beach by two men; one of boxing match. They don’t give me them showed me some porn photos. battle fatigue. And like most of the I was scared, nervous —because I felt women I know they are busy all the so guilty. time destroying and re-creating Sue: I know guys who were doing themselves. the beat when they were 13. I’ve I am starting to become what I always wondered how they knew pretend I am, that is, a feminist. I where the beats were. care less and less what men think of Simeon: Oh, it was talked about at me. I notice that when I say I am school. You know — graffiti in only interested in talking to women dunnies — “Ring this number if you men get very upset. They hate it so want to be sucked off.” much, covertly, murderously. And John: I used to go to the beach with it’s less messy than castration. I guess my family every summer. I knew I I must be doing something right.

Think about a man and woman was attracted to men, and I knew I only had to make myself available — fucking. It starts with dishonesty, or there were always strange men at least it has done hitherto. There are a hundred games and ploys, a lurking about in the bushes.

Simeon: But the worring side of it, hundred rituals and bargains which get them into bed. The special secret even at that age, was seeing myself at territory of bed. Then they give 30 —really depressed. attention to the erogenous zones.

Sue: Yeah — asking yourself Which is strange, since every inch of “Where’ll I be when I’m old?” skin and gut is erogenous. That Simeon: That’s the traditional camp climaxes in the act, the fuck. Which —as opposed to gay —world-picture: climaxes in his orgasm. Which may the lifestyle’s inevitable, once you be accompanied by her orgasm, a get into it. On the shelf at 35. Into art deco-. . . oh, that’s more gay lib I graceful compliment to him.

The woman is a walled city. The suppose. High Street antiques is the man lays siege to it. With his camp scene. battering ram. She surrenders. She John: I always used to think lets him in. He fucks her. That’s all homosexuals — camps — grew old there is to it. That’s fucking. Ask a together. man. It’s as simple as killing, another David: . . . sadly. favourite game of little boys.

Jenny: But they get married.

Until we get rid of the power Simeon: Oh, not many. They accept imagery and the power struggle. loneliness. And that’s vile.

Until it stops being fucking and Digger: Where is the line between becomes something else, I don’t want camp and gay?

Sue: Camp commits you to a life­ to do it. I can’t enjoy it. Funny, but my own oppression doesn’t turn me style the kind we’ve been talking on any more. about.

I don’t like men’s bodies because John: But gay is camp people defining themselves. Gays are activi­ they remind me of men I have known. First of all, they remind me sts. of the men I used to sleep with. I’d Jenny: In my women’s group, some like to send a special cheerio to you of the women want to wear Gay guys and say I haven’t forgotten. Not Liberation badges in solidarity. They one piece of shit you put on me. You used to be scared we’d be crapped didn’t make me a lesbian, don’t kid off. There was one woman in the yourselves, my beautiful sisters did group who was married, and had that. But you sure made me radical. several children. After we’d been And men’s bodies remind me of talking about homosexuality she had street men, all flashers at heart, who a fantasy about masturbation, and think they own me. I’ve got a new then about fucking with a woman. way of looking at street men now. I She’s gay in the head — but that like to measure my anger against doesn’t mean she has to find that their bodies. Maybe I’ll punch your woman. Where does a 40-year-old face! Maybe I’ll smash the wind­ woman start? Those are big changes. screen of your kerb-crawling car.

David: Do you resent the term And men’s bodies remind me of “ideological lesbian”? Because I use the Man. Oh yes, the Man who fucks it, and I don’t mean it as a putdown.

Sue: I know what you mean. If us all. He fucks us with every gun and night-stick that he’s got. He you’ve changed your own head, fucks ’em dead with bombing and you’ve made an intellectual decision . .. but that decision has to be starvation. He fucks our minds with followed by an emotional ex­ his mad man-logic. He fucks the earth and blows off at the moon and perience. stars.

Jenny: I used to be an ideological With all these memories how can lesbian — because I wouldn’t have I love a man? had the nerve to relate to women without the ideology first.

From the trenches

Simeon: I lost a job at a Tech because I was a homosexual. I was having an affair with the ex-husband of a staff member. She announced it to the staff room one day. They tried to dismiss me but there were no grounds. But a week later I was transferred.

Sue: A lot of camp teachers get transferred. There aren’t any laws dealing directly with lesbians — but there were two women kissing on a train who were charged with indecent behaviour.

Jenny: Two women I know were kicked out of their flat because they were lesbians. The agent saw them kissing on the front step.

Sue: It’s hard to think of examples — people can’t declare themselves as homosexuals, because they’d never get a job, or else they’d lose the one they have.

David: There was the case of Jeremy Fisher who was asked to leave a residential college at Macquarie University because he was a practis­ ing homosexual.

Sue: Feeling against homosexuality is very strong in women’s colleges.

When they know two girls are in bed together, they do things like knocking on the door, ringing the fire brigade —that sort of stuff.

David: At New England University, three gays came out: they were assaulted, a mock castration was held and their heads were shaved. Two of the guys who did it to them were expelled. The third was only reprimanded — he’s just been elected Mr Prosh Week or whatever their k local macho contest is called.

Sue: Discrimination is everywhere.

It’s in the way you are educated — how many sex education courses even mention homosexuality, let alone present it as a viable alternative? In court cases with, say, a gay person in an influential social position, they drop the charges if he’ll accept aversion therapy or seek a psychiatric cure.

But people go and volunteer themselves for the aversion therapy, of their own free will. That’s how fucked over they are. And then there’s psychosurgery and lobotomy — other violent methods the medical profession uses to cope with homosexuality.

Simeon: I went to a shrink for three years. I got the usual stuff — he totally denied my experience had any validity. Nothing I said was ever taken as I meant it.

Sue: I know a lesbian who told her mother she was gay. Her mother said she should see a gynaecologist. The gynaecologist said, “What you need is a man who’ll fuck you on top.”

When gay activists heard about this and confronted him, he didn’t even know of the existence of clitoral orgasm.

Jenny: Females are supposed to act like females so guys can respond to them — and vice versa. That’s how shrinks see it.

Sue: There was that incredible Christian publication at Monash which dismissed homosexuality by making an analogy about nuts and bolts —sexuality being seen purely in terms of the apparently, intended function of sexual organs.

Jenny: There are also cases involving lesbian mothers in custody of children, if there’s a divorce. The woman only gets custody if she undertakes not to live with her woman friend. And of couse there’s the problem of a homosexual couple getting a housing loan.

Do gays have a hard time at places like the VD clinic?

David: When I went down to the VD clinic, I had gonorrhea of the anus.

The doctor was going to take a smear off my prick. I said, “No, take it from the anus — I’m a homosexual” .

He told me homosexuality was terrible, said I should give it up, the way people give up smoking. The guy in charge there is OK, but the male nurses who do the tests are really vile. I happened to be the second gay who’d come in that day, and the nurses shouted across the waiting room, “Here’s another one for an anal smear!”

Drag and straights Digger: What’s your attitude to drag?

Sue: The Effeminist manifesto people are against it because it’s offensive to women. Some people say that men who get into drag are being their own mothers. Some gay women find it amusing - but it can be offensive. Women are often astounded that men can parody the worst aspects of women so accurate­ ly.

John: There’s a line between gender confusion, which I’m all in favor of, and old-style drag, where men actually try to look like women.

Sue: Men who wear drag are identifying with women in a derogatory way. They’re making themselves look like something they’re not feeling the pain of really being.

David: But we feel that pain as homosexuals.

Jenny: I like drag if it looks nice. But I remember at a camp ball once seeing a man in a dressing gown, and black stockings .with a garter. I thought it was funny at the time, but not now.

Photography: Ponch Hawkes.

David: The Les Girls type of drag show is just the Straight Man manipulating gay men to mock women.

Simeon: I used to be freaked by guys in drag — but since being in Gay Liberation I think it’s really good.

David: I’m still in a dilemma about it. The Effeminists think all drag is offensive, but I don’t think they understand the political aspects of it.

Sometimes gay men satirise aspects of women’s oppression. Like Bill — he goes to university wearing elabor­ ate make-up. When he confronts straights in drag, it freaks them right out. There’s a poem about it which says, “ You learn more from three hours in drag than from six months in overalls.”

Digger: What do you think of the Effeminists’ idea of gynarchism — that women will seize power?

Jenny: What we’d like to get away from is the whole idea of power that that assumes. In a patriarchal society, the attributes seen as desirable are meted out in large dollops in boys’ conditioning. It’s not that women ought to get more of these attributes, but that the basic idea of what attributes are desirable has to change.

Sue: Men need to get back a bit of the humanness that’s been thumped out of them, but which has been allowed to remain in women.

Jenny: And they have to learn it all over again. They shouldn’t counter­ feit it, the way women sometimes feel that strength and independence are things they have to counterfeit.

Digger: (to the men) How do you feel when you read things like what Jocelyn feels about men?

David: I remove myself from what she’s saying. I just don’t identify with it. I see men, as she describes them, as a common enemy. But I can’t say, “Right on, sister” because I am a man.

Digger: In exactly what ways do you want your straight friends to change toward you when they find out you’re gay?

Simeon: That’s a second priority.

What’s more important is that gaysget it together with each other and define themselves.

Jenny: We want them to do things, not just say “It’s cool.”

Sue: We want them to look at themselves. It’s not that we want to “race off” —and put that in inverted commas — our friends, but there’s this thing about only sleeping with our gay friends, and never looking at our relationships with our straight friends to see where they’re at. With Laurie for example — she’s the only close friend I’ve still got who was straight, but she came out a while after I did — we’d been friends for nine years, we were at school together, but we were scared to touch each other.

So — one thing we’d like is to be able to touch our straight friends without their seeing it as an approach.

And we’d like to be able to talk with them, about being gay.

Simeon: At university I kept falling desperately in love -with straights. I kept glorifying them as some sort of god. Their attitude to this was, “It’s cool, man, just don’t bug me with it.” And they kept pounding me with how many women they screwed.

David: As far as an analysis of sexism goes, only women can em­ pathise.

Digger: Can you explain why straight men are supposed to find homo­ sexuals a threat to their masculinity?

That’s what people always say, but I’ve always wondered what it actually meant.

Jenny: (laughing) Maybe it’s because gays look as if they’re having fun.

Always have.

Sue: Men are bonded in a mutual oppression of women. If a macho sees a man who’s not relating to women in an OK way, he sees it as a rejection of this system of bonding.

Jenny: An example of this is what Robin Morgan writes about- in a poem to her husband: the rape of

faggots by the Attica freedom fighters.

Sue: Straight men seem to think that all gay men get fucked (though how that can be possible I don’t know).

So, if they’re getting fucked, they must be women. And a woman is the most despised thing.

Jenny: The only poofters they can see are femme — and the only lesbians they can see are butch. In their terms, all poofters get fucked, and all lesbians fuck.

Digger: Simeon said earlier that when gay men and women talk to each other it’s often on the level of asking “What do you actually do?”

Sue: Asking that puts emphasis on technique rather than on understand­ ing another person’s body. But I guess people ought to know that carrots and dildoes just aren’t on.

Female sexuality is such an integrated thing. Guys can’t accept the fact that your whole body, your whole energy is sexual. Lesbians realise this because there’s no point at which they can say they are fucking or not fucking — as you can with a man and a woman. Among women, you can’t draw that line.

David: A lot of the Effeminist Mani­ festo is simple-minded. If a screwedup guy walked into Gay Liberation and we handed him the Manifesto, he wouldn’t know where he was at.

It’s first of all necessary for him to be validated as a homosexual before he can handle the Effeminists’ stuff about relating to the oppression of women. The old-style camp scene puts down women all the time.

The slang is sexist. A woman is a fag-hag, a fish. I think the Effeminist idea of gynarchism is a very macho concept.

Simeon: The Effeminists see it like we have the power, therefore for anything to change, the women will have to take it off us. If you look at it that way, what you’re asking for is simply a swap.

Jenny: When women who are together for the first time don’t know what to do — that’s good. It shows that they’re taking time (instead of falling straight into roles and complicated gymnastics) to get to know another body.

And when people talk about what lesbians do, they use such awful words — mutual masturbation, tripadism (laughing).

Digger: What’s tripadism?

Jenny: It’s when you lie one on top of the other, or side by side, and. . just wriggle!

Sue: That’s probably another reason why straight men hate lesbians: if they understand that orgasm is clitoral, who needs a prick?

Jenny: Even the nicest guys still think that men and women comple­ ment each other. And for a guy, a cunt is a nice warm lubricated place for him to come. But it’s not the only place, not the only way. ***

Wants

Digger: What exactly are Gay Liberationists rejecting?

David: We’re against the masculine — competitiveness and aggression.

Simeon: I’m rejecting the hetero­ sexual middle-class myth of finding someone and settling down.

Sue: We want to get rid of the ideal of monogamy in personal relation­ ships. And that means we’re out to break down the nuclear family —not just because it depends on mono­ gamy but because in order to survive, it has to force children into sex roles, and condition them so that sexual choice and freedom are denied.

Simeon: But what’s more important is what we’re asserting about ourselves.

June: We want the freedom to be David: Men are still hung up on human without being labelled mas­ culine or feminine. genital sex.

Simeon: There’s still a value system | Sue: We want to be able to respond attached to who does the fucking. to a person without having to be David: Even in Gay Lib. there is aware of their sex. We want people supposedly no role-playing — people to be able to be tender and honest aren’t supposed to be fucked. It’s with each other instead of having to still in people’s minds: to be fucked get into games and power play. And is not masculine, it’s a passive role. we assert that sexuality isn’t just a Simeon: I went out with this guy response to a man. who wouldn’t let me fuck him. Jenny: People must be allowed to be And once when we were out to weak, sometimes, without this being dinner I offered to pay and he taken to mean that they’re going to said, “ Come on Simeon — I’ve got be weak all the time. The model is the relationship between friends. some pride.”

David: It’s like Ibsen’s The Dolls And we want a multiplicity of House when the husband says “ I choice. My mother’s convinced I wouldn’t sacrifice my honor for any­ must be unhappy because I haven’t one — not even the woman I love,” made the right choice. It’s like the and she says, “Millions of women do.” accepted idea of creativity — you Simeon: Germaine Greer said, “ A have to specialise in one thing. You man will never know what it’s about have to label yourself — artist, photographer, writer. till he’s had a cock up his arse.” Sue: We want people tocbe able to Because he can never know how it make all choices in one — for one feels to be penetrated. choice not to be final.

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September 8 — October 6, 1973

THE DIGGER Niuginian socialist interviewed:

My government hates me “My government hates me. All the business interests in New Guinea hate: me.” This is the boast of Peter Kavo, 20 year old secretary of the newly formed Socialist Party of Papua New Guinea.

Only three months old, the S.P. already has nearly 1000 members, Kavo is in Australia on a two-week tour, drumming up interest in the party, and in another venture he’s connected with, the Alternative Establishment Centre, which is working toward New Guinean self-reliance.

He’s a tall, bright-eyed man, possessed of a confidence verging on bombast. Despite his Sandal-shod feet, he obviously feels the Mel­ bourne cold. Under his overcoat he wears a warm waterproof jacket and ! under that a now rare “Free Niugini” t-shirt. From beneath the cuffs of his tfousers peeps an ankle of long-john.

He sports an elaborate necklace — “my sister made it especially for me” — and then he adds, “but culture is nothing blit consumerism now — people making money out of it.”

The Socialist Party is trade union based, but Peter Kavo is not a trade unionist. One time SRC president at the Lae Institute he now survives on a $10 a week retainer from the Australian Union of Students plus a more munificent travelling allow­ ance.

The S.P. is anti-imperialist, de­ centralist and has a strong interest in worker-control and self-management.

Its power base is on the Port Moresby wharves, centre of the most militant trade union action in the country. Working for $11.50 a week, the wharf laborers are awaiting with more than casual interest the decision of the Minimum Wages Board which is considering their demand for a basic $30 a week.

The emetgence of this party alters the political spectrum in Papua New Guinea by forcing Somare’s Pangu Pati into a more centralist position.

Kavo said that Somare tried to get the new party affiliated with Pangu by inviting every member of the executive (except him) to parley but

they wouldn’t come across.

The Alternative Establishment Centre is, says, Kavo, “working so low down that most people think we’re crazy.” It researches cost of living in Port Moresby with the object of achieving self-reliance in such things as foodstuffs. “At the moment rice sells at 35c lb because we import it from NSW and Queensland. We’d like to grow what we can and feed ourselves.”

The initials AEC also stand, in New Guinea, fpr Administrator’s Executive Council, which is the equivalent to cabinet, and Kavo has taken cunning advantage of this: “We put out our own publicity headed — ‘The AEC says . . . ’ ” The connection, he says, between the Socialist Party and the Alter­ native Establishment Centre is that they have the same political aim — decentralisation of power, but while the party is going the way of political parties, the centre has its own mode.

“It’s good to stay in the party and it’s good to have something else going to cover other areas.”

Kavo has already learned the political skill of overwhelming seeming contradictions by passionate, avowal. “People tell us we’re socialists. I tell them I don’t know what socialism is.”

— But you’re a member of the Socialist Party?

— “That’s just because somebody said we should call it that; it was decided among the(40 people at the foundation meeting.”

When we asked about the role of women in the movement he looked wry and said that the women in Australia were always laying that one on him. “It’s hard to get women into a movement like that because of their traditional role. We’d like some women to come in . . . but women who think.”

He claims to have information that there are already 4000 guerillas operating in West Irian. An Indo­ nesian patrol was wiped out two weeks go. We asked about Somare’s attitude to the border and the

refugee problem. “He thinks the refugees are unnecessary people. He sends them back for good relations with Indonesia. Nobody knows what happens to them when they are sent back.”

Political independence, says Kavo, means practically nothing, for the economic situation remains un­ changed. “Most people think of development in terms of CRA and 2-3% increase in GNP, but what does this mean to the people at the bottom?” He adds, “The. white mastas are going out and the black mastas are coming in.”

He fears the police more than the military, for they will defend the

establishment the most fiercely.

“The likes of me will get the bashings and we expect it. There’s nothing much we can do. We basically do not preach open violence, but .you can only maim a guy to a certain extent and then he’ll retaliate and that could come in any form.”

He claims fifteen letters sent to him this year have never arrived.

He’s very derisive about the ideological divisions in the Australian left and also about a lot of AUS’s activities but it was difficult to get a clear picture of just what he was on about here. He made one point very clear, “If anybody needed restruc­ turing, your society does!” _ LPCW

Bill Garner

Page 8

Photograph by Richard Harris

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Smith gets in. deeper*

Murderous parents put in hotline

by Jean Buckley

Discussions of thè battered baby syndrome usually centre around de­ tection, prevention and punishment.

Recently, however, Parents Anony­ mous was set up in Melbourne by a Guerilla activity has continued in group of parents who have, at one north eastern Zimbabwe over the time or another, let loose and past month, although ic has been ‘abused” their children. given little attention outside the They claim that for too long country. has “ baby bashing” been seen as Rhodesian forces are now using j a form of criminal/ abuse instead of South African helicopters, but no [ a fairly common expression of frus­ successes seem to have been achieved, j tration. As one of them puts it: The penalties for aiding the guerillas j “The madonna image that the media ■f are to be increased, for the second j projects just doesn’t work. I never time this year, and the ‘Minister of knew 1 wouldn’t be overwhelmed Justice, Law and Order’, Desmond Lardner Burke, announced at the by love for my first child, and I immediately felt inadequate. I didn’t end of July that tougher measures come to love my children till they were necessary because some people weré about 12 months old. How can apparently did not believe the regime you be expected to love someone when it declared its intention of in- until you get to know them?” nishment on guerilla The group offers a 24-hour ’phone service for parents to ring in and talk out the sorts of frustrations that might otherwise be taken out on their children.

The idea of a parents’ self-help group came from Margaret Robert­ son,. Ms Robertson has two small children who were born within 12 months of each other, both pre­ maturely. On both occasions, when the babies were finally released from the hospital-, Margaret found it diffij cult to relate to them,; “I did abuse my kids, I did belt them, I rejected them, I couldn’t understand what whs happening to me. With my son, I couldn’t bath him. The first time I picked him up from the hospital and they asked me to go in and feed him, I was * Fully Transistorised terrified. I mean, if there had of been a window there, I would have * 40 Watt RMS pitched him out. That’s how much * Superb Sound I hated him. I had no idea /what the * For Studio Work reason was.”

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It got worse and worse until I finally took an overdose. It wasn’t so much to kill myself but to get attention to what I was doing and to find out * E nquiries why I was like this.”

699.2971 Eventually Margaret went to | Larundel. “ I don’t know if the people i who go there go back, bqt you won’t

find me there again. Once I was out, I suddenly realised that no damn psychiatrist in this world is going to help me get over this: I’ve got to do this on my own. And from then on I started going up. “ Now I’m coping well. I’m not for a minute saying that I wouldn’t clobber my kid — I could still quite easily do it on occasion. But at least I can cope with it and live at home — the kids are happy and we’re like a normal family.”

Listening to a radio talk-back program, Margaret realised a selfhelp group was needed. “ A young mother rang in. I could tell she was desperate because I’d been in the same situation myself; and what she got back .from the talk-back show was no help to her. So I thought it’s about time somebody started a selfhelp group. “ I knew that if in the early days I’d had someone that I could ring, someone who understood my posit­ ion, who’d been through it them­ selves, and I could ring up and say, ‘Look, I’m going to kill this kid,’ they would know I meant it. And if they couldn’t talk you out of it over the ’phone, well, get over there on the double. If necessary take the child, even if it’s just for a couple of hours to give the mother a chance to collect her thoughts, calm down, have a bit of a break and get ready to start coping again: If I’d had something like that, I’m sure my son wouldn’t have ended up with the occasional black eye.”

Margaret Robertson talked over the idea with a few friends and was later contacted by a social worker who’d had some experience with people who beat their children. She encouraged Margaret to set up the group, pointing out that similar groups had been quite successful in America.

Although the group is run by and for parents who have faced the prob­ lem themselves, the group has access to professional help in , ‘extreme cases” . But its main appeal is that the group is a self-help group and not affiliated with the “authorities” . “ Parents who abuse their children are frightened. They are frightened of the police being brought in, or they are frightened that their children are going to be taken away from

them. And these people are truly not monsters. There’s a dividing line — some are definitely quite off the planet —, but there’s others who just can’t cope with the pressure and it gets them down. “ I mean how does the kid know?

He comes home from school and he wants to tell you something. How the hell is he to know that the ’phone’s been ringing, the sink’s blocked, the washing machine’s gone wrong, you’ve got a stinking head­ ache — how’s he to know that? and you turn round and abuse hell out of him . . . it’s hot his fault and it’s not your fault. You have to learn self-control and this is where I think the self-help group can make a contri-4

button. Just somebody to talk to.”

So far there are about ten parents in the group. They have had lots of requests from parents in similar po­ sitions. With the co-operatton of life ­ line, school-teachers at kindergartens, and community health centres, they feel that they offer something more tangible than a Health Department collecting a bunch of statistics on baby-bashers and psychiatrists who get paid handsomely to confirm their worst fears.

Parents Anonymous can be con­ tacted through PO Box 169, Mentone ViC., 3194; ph. Melbourne 93.1064, 231.3043.

81 BOURKK STREET ÍOPP. FLORENTINO’S), MELBOURNE

Open Monday — Saturday, day and night.

Y tó E S r fl Phone: 63.9292

B00K5T5RP

BOOK CLUB We Invite YOU to Join Our BOOK CLUB $4.00 per annum and you receive 10 Whole Earth Review and Catalogues. Plus 10% dis­ count on all books bought over the counter.

travel TRAVEL THE STUDENT WAY TRAVEL AUS! 84 Cleveland Street, Chippendale, NSW. Ph.: 698.3719 220 Faraday Street, Carlton, VIC. Ph.: 347.8462

September 8 — October 6, 1973

THE DIGGER

Page 9

Memoirs of a Sydney cop: Part 1

In which Men learns child psychology and how lo pull a man out of a cement mixer

by Merv Rutherford

I joined the NSW Police Force in 19&6. There had been a bit of a hassle concerning my employment as an apprentice telephone mechanic and I found myself out of work at a time wheji jobs were hard to get. Mum and Dad had seen it pretty rough during the 1929-’32 Depression when the only employer who didn’t lay off big numbers of workers was the Public Service. Although I was enjoying the break, they were keen for me to get another govern­ ment job. So I applied to join the police.

During the four-week training period we had to undergo before being let loose, armed and dedicated, on the general public, I tore a knee ligament playing football. I was pronounced unfit and sacked.

For a while I was out of work and lived (as you will see) by legal and illegal betting around Sydney. A mate of mine who was a member of parliament eventually worked on the heavies, and I was allowed back into the force.

About 12 months later I was transferred to a sleepy western tovm country town, where I broke my shoulder playing football. There being nothing else to do, I started writing about my police history, and got together a 99% autobiographical account of my first year as a policeman.

Sixteen years later I ran into a yank draft dodger called Bruce Hanford, who dragged the precious manuscript out of the dust one night, read it, and said it showed a side of the fuzz he’d never thought about before. One of these sides is the weird experience of actually getting into the police force.

What gets me now, when I read what I wrote 16 years ago about being a policeman, is just how far I was in. They had me body and soul. It seemed good, and it seemed important, to be a cop.

Many of the views I express in this story I do not now hold.

But I think many policemen think about their job the way I did then. I joined the police force because I was out of work and they paid good bread for unskilled labor. It almost became a way of life — important for what it was rather than how much I got for doing it.

Not long after I.finished writing the book from which this extract comes, I made up my mind to leave1 the police force.

I left, eventually, in 1965. The class of July 1956, my class, have recently been promoted to the rank of third class Sergeant.

With my head in the clouds and picturing myself as a kind of real life Australian Humphrey Bogart, I went up a flight of stairs and down a long corridor leading to a sign which said “ Recruiting Office” . The walls of this corridor were covered with photos depicting brilliant scientific victories over Crime by the forces o f1 Law and Order. I paused in front of the door and casually examined a few of these before entering. Yes, I decided. I could handle this stuff alright, probably even give the mugs a few pointers.

Obeying the sign on the door, I knocked and entered. “ Don’t you wait until you’re asked, before you enter a room?” a stern man in uniform, about two years older than I, asked angrily. |T — I only read the notice,” I stammered uncertainly. “ Do you believe everything that you read?” “ No, I” , I stopped, suddenly very unsure of myself. “ I suppose you want to be a Policeman,” he went on sarcastically. “ Fill in this form. Make sure that it’s the

truth or you’ve got no chance. Then you can sit for the exam. If you pass you can see the Doctor with the others in the afternoon.”

Forms? Exam? Doctor? This was something new. I thought A1 said there was nothing to it. It was the first inkling I had, that this was going to be no “ lay down misere” , but a very hard hand to play, and that if I didn’t have the trumps I wouldh’t get through, for it’s very hard to bluff these blokes out of anything.

My severe young friend put it down and asked me blandly how soon I could start. It’s about time they got down to business, I thought, and said “ In about a fortnight.” “ You’ve told us the truth on that form you filled in this morning?” “ Yes,” I said, “ every word.” “ Alright then, report back here Friday week with three references' from people who know you. You said that you have the Intermediate Certificate and the Bronze Medal­ lion?” “ Yes, that’s right.” “ Then bring them with you.” “ Rightio mate,” I said — after all we were just about workmates. “ I’ll do those little things for you.”

“The word’s Constable, young fella,” a voice roared behind me.

I spun around startled, and looked into a pair of cold blue eyes. The eyes belonged to a heavily-built rock of a man, whose massive shoulders Filled the door. His head rested right on his shoulders and in attempt

to find some humor in a situation took a few more paces towards us “ Alright men, you have all been stops. “ No need to hold the little which was rapidly becoming em- and halted. Without him uttering a to processions where these barriers fellow on your shoulder sir. Bring barassing, I thought- with a smile syllable there was dead silence. are used. Now imagine that : this ' him down and sit him on the barrier. that he was the man they couldn’t Nevertheless he rebuked us for dis­ is Anzac Day, and there are thousands What? Of course it will be alright.” turbing the sleep of the clerks in the of people crammed in behind those He extended both arms, and sat hang. He had no neck.

But one look into his steely blue distant Traffic Office, in an ear- barriers, all trying to get a look an imaginary small boy on the barrier, eyes, and the smile vanished, to­ splitting whisper that nearly burst my at what is going on. Now who’s and steadied him for a second. gether with all thoughts of humor eardrums and must have come within ! going to perform the herculean task “That’s it Sonny.” Digs in his pocket. that I had entertained for that brief an ace of permanently damaging j of keeping them all back behind “ Have a lolly.” moment. At the moment his rugged his vocal chords. With a few sharp j those barriers while the march is This act was repeated with a features bore an expression of ab­ roars he lined us up in order of actually in progress? Yes, that’s right, ■ solute disgust, as if he had just taken height. Yet another in this series of j you blokes. Now here is where you’ll few such variations all along the a bite from a nice juicy apple and had blows to my ego, for when we j really have to use your imagination. length of the barrier. The spectacle discovered a worm. numbered off I stood only 21 up | Imagine all you blokes dolled up of the usually unrelenting, hard-as“ Er, yes Sergeant,” I stammered, from the shortest man. in Police uniforms, standing there nails Bull acting the gentle guardian, of little children was enough to “ I’m sorry.” with you backs to the barriers, Four weeks may seem a very keeping those crowds back.” He bring a smile to the deadest of our He nodded his head sagely. “ And short time for such a small staff pointed towards the barriers. number. a crawler into the bargain. I thought to turn so many men from all walks “ Now that’s the first step. You’ve as much.” He moved forward, and, “ Now here it is. Get the picture. of life into competent trained Police­ The footpath behind these barriers got a line of kids along the front putting his face so close to mine that of the barriers. Now you consolidate I could have counted the fillings, he men, to be entrusted with the re­ is jammed ten deep with people. roared, “ Where can you see three sponsibilities involved. In point of You can’t get another one in, and your position.” He started to patrol stripes on my arm?” Unconsciously fact, very little attempt is made to out in front, almost 50 yards apart, the barriers again, still addressing do this, the period being used more are you blokes. You’re standing there the class. “ You talk to the crowd.

I snapped to attention. “ I can’t, I just thought there as time to acquaint us with our with your great distended stomachs Make friends with them.” He stopped powers and responsibilities, and to pulled in, your little double chins suddenly, and bent down, hands were, that’s all.” give us an idea of what we would resting on your little pigeon chests, clasped loosely behind his back. “ Hey “ Well,” he drawled sarcastically, be likely to strike out on the street. there, young fella. Where’s your “ I was lucky that you didn’t just A Policeman learns his job the hard looking as tough as possible, and think that I was your sheila and way, by experience, and we were all the time kidding yourselves that Daddy?” He straightened up and give me a big kiss when I walked in, taught that for the time being when they’re all going to stay back there raised his hand in acknowledgement to an imaginary parent. wasn’t I?” Someone laughed behind something happened we were to take because they’re scared of what you “ She’s right. Everything’s under me, and I just stood there looking might do to them.” charge and call for help. It is all control.”

Hands behind back again, for a hole to crawl into. He went His steadily rising voice reached and walks on. “ Yes, it’s a lovely very nice in theory but in practice I on looking at me as though I was the found that there is usually no help a crescendo in a roar like a wave day Madam. They’re very lucky.” worm he had found in his apple. to call out to, and it just has to crashing onto the beach. “ Well get He flashed a friendly smile. “ I’ll “ You’re not a Policeman yet by a that idea out of your head smartly. say, I wish it was like this every long way and don’t think that you be handled the best way you Can. If that’s your attitude, they’ll stay year. What’s that?” He cupped >his With this in mind they spent most of are, and if you go around acting like the time teaching us to act like and back about five minutes. You don’t hand to his ear. “ Do I know Bill a bodgie lair all the time you won’t think like Policemen, and to develop scare them a bit.” His lips curled Smith? Yeah, I know Bill well.” become one either. So show a bit of our personalities. Any tendency to­ in a sneer. “ Of course we all know He turned to the class. “ You respect and act like a man, even if I wards shyness or self-consciousness that each of you is more than a might never have been to an Anzac have to spit on you to make you was ruthlessly eliminated by long match for any 15 or 20 ordinary Day March before and you’ve never smell like one.” He walked around periods of gentle ridicule and point­ men, but no matter how good you heard of Bill Smith, but you say the counter. I turned to face him less cross-examination, until the vic­ are, you can’t handle a thousand you do. It all helps.” He turned not knowing whether to be angry or tim was forced to speak his mind men, women and children. It’s im­ back to his crowd. “ Yeah that’s embarrassed. I settled on the latter. possible. It will all be over in a right, he works on the Motor Bikes. in order to be left in peace.

It was safer. couple of minutes. A few lairs will Do you know where he is now?

Almost everything that they step under the barriers to get a Daceyville eh. Nice place Daceyville.”

The stern one I had referred to as mate spoke up as if nothing had thought we might strike once out better look, and the mob will follow He walks on. “ Another lolly? Here happened. “ When you front next on the street in uniform, from the them. While you’re fighting off your you are Son. Last one.” best method to shoot a mad dog, 20 or 30, the rest will trample you week, you’ll appear before the He turned around to his appreciai to questioning a suspected drunken to death. There won’t be enough tive audience. “ And that’s the way selection board, who’ll look you over and examine your record. If driver, was covered. All three of left to identify you with. You’ll you go about it. Before long they’re they pass you, can you start here our instructors were great talkers, be posted as a deserter.” ^ all on your side. You’re their friend. and did not require much prodding After punching home these, points They won’t come through the barriers the Monday after?” to relate their past experiences. These with much saliva, he adopted a con­ because they don’t want to do any­ “ Yes.” “ Go in the next door then and involved such mundane things as dis­ spiratorial air and dropped his voice thing that’s going to get you into we’ll fingerprint you so we can do a arming armed maniacs, marching a to a shout. trouble.” . naked woman through the crowded bit of checking up. If you haven’t “ Now here’s how you do it. You He continued walking up and told the truth on that form, you not streets of Newtown to the Police use a bit of psychology. That bluff, down. “ Righto, you keep this up for only won’t be accepted, you’ll be Station, and picking dead men out of bash and barge business went out a while until the march starts. Then charged with knowingly making a cement mixers. Open-mouthed and with straw hats. First you walk you pick a spot where there’s no false statement. Want to tear it up i wide-eyed, we heard about things up and down the stretch you have kids behind, and stand there. You and forget the whole thing?” that we did not even know existed, to patrol, and get all the kids to know that there’s going to be no I remembered the National Service although after six months experience the front.” trouble, so you relax.” He adopted record, shuddered and said, “ No, in uniform we found a lot of their With his back to the class, he a position which would have earned it’s alright.” stories to be the . second-hand started to walk up and down the any of us half a dozen laps of the “ Then we’ll see you Friday week, experiences of other police. length of the barrier talking to an quadrangle, and became engrossed 8 o’ clock sharp. And get a haircut imaginary crowd. He stopped ab­ in the approaching marchers. and shave before you come,” said “ But you’re only there for a ruptly about the middle, and stood the one with no neck. “ We don’t Rutherford damages a ligament few minutes and you hear a bit on his toes. “ How’s that little girl want people thinking that this is a in his leg during a rugby match, of a row. You stroll down to see in there Madam? Can she see alright? what’s going on, and you find that rest home for Hobos.” I glared and is thus allowed to sit on the No, well send her down to the front some great galah’s trying to get under malevolently at him and walked out. sidelines while Bull gives a lecture then. ” He held a protecting arm the barrier^ while you’ve got your I didn’t know it then, but I had met on erecting barriers and controlling over the barrier. “ That’s it, little back turned. But what happens to for the first time perhaps the most crowds. girl. You can see alright now, can’t him? To get through the barrier important Policeman on the training you.” He patted an imaginary little he has to move some kids, and staff.

The barriers were brought out head. “What’s that? Her big sister they don’t like it, and they cry and we were shown how to get too. Certainly. Send her down.” and this makes the parents cranky, He went through the same act so does everyone else. No-one likes Punctually at 8 o’ clock Bull them together to form a long pre­ stepped out of the downstairs door fabricated fence. It was a fairly again, and put his hand in his pocket to see little kids pushed around. of the Recruiting Office and started simple matter, and after two practices and produced an imaginary packet So by the time you get there, they to march towards us. He was we were lined up in front of our of lollies. “ There y’are kids. That’s want to kill him. immaculately dressed, a blinding shine handiwork about ten yards away for being good little girls.” He held “ You walk up to the bloke with a on his size tens, and creases in his and in two long files. Bull waited up a restraining hand. “ No need sort of puzzled smile on your dial, tunic and trousers that would cut a few minutes to make sure we to come down Madam. The little and you ask what’s going on? When butter. As he reached the end of had settled down and he had our girls will be alright. I’ll look after you left them everything was alright. this path he made a smart right turn, attention, then he went into his them for you.” Shakes his head. What’s happened. Everyone tries to “ No. No trouble at all.” act.

Walks on for a few yards, and speak at once, and then you know they’re on your side, so you’re right. At last one bloke’ll shut every­ one else up, and he’ll say, ‘Ah,

this big lair tried to push his way to the front throught hese kids. I was just going to give him a thick ear.’ The rest will give you a bit of well-meant advice, like, ‘Leave him here, Constable, let me have a crack at him. Yeah, let’s see how he goes against a few of his own size. He’s alright against kids.’ “ The bloke’ll try to defend him­ self, but you wipe the smile off your face and you look him in the eye like he was a maggot, and you say, ‘Who do you think you are MUG? Pushing these kids around. I put them there so they could get a good look at the march. Not so you could trample all over them, with those big bodgie brothel brogues you’re wearing.’”

Bull turned to the class. “ By this time he feels like a pork chop in a Synagogue, and although he’s starting to get a bit cranky, what can he do about it? Everyone’s on your side. He’s pushed a few kids around and the crowd’s pretty wild.

If you were to knock him down, the crowd’d kick him. No possible chance of any of them going to court against you. Still, to show everyone that you’re really a good fella, you give him a break.”

Bull stepped Under the barrier and grabbed tightly hold of an imag­ inary arm. “ Righto, LAIR, come with me.” Bull looked around.

“Now no-one will go through the barrier while I’m gone, will they?”

He waved his hand in acknowledge­ ment and started to push his way through an imaginary crowd. “ Ex­ cuse me please. Give us a go here while I put this mug in his place.”

Bull came back under the barrier and spoke to the class. “ You take him out of the crowd, and you’re doing him a favor. You’ve saved his life. When you get out behind the crowd, you haven’t got much on him, so you just tell him to beat it or you’ll run him in for assault. If he jacks up, take his name and address, that nearly always frightens them.”

He walked back to the barrier, stepped under it and bent down. “ How are you Son? That nasty man push you? Well don’t worry, he won’t be back.” He stood up and tapped his notebook significantly. “ Took his name and address. I’ll take action by summons. A lot easier than arresting him on a day like this. You’d like to be a witness against him? Well alright, if you want to?” He produced his note­ book. “ Just write down in your own words how you saw him kick those kids.”

He turned to the class. “ Of course, he hasn’t really hurt the kids at all, but a few statements like that can be very handy.” Turned back to crowd. “ Thank you very much Sir. Of course if he pleads guilty, we won’t need you. Ah — you bring about a fiver. Yeah, I know it’s not enough, but still that’s the law.”

Bull again addressed his ribstrained audience, and rang down the curtain. “Then everyone’s satis­ fied. They’re with you 100% all the way. You’ve made one enemy,' who’s a mug anyway, and 2,000 friends for yourself and the Police Force, just by using your head, instead of your mouth and throat.”.

In the next episode, Merv gets the boot from the force and relaxes into a loafer’s life shading off into the semi-crim. Read about it in the October issue of Digger.

Page 10

THE DIGGER

September 8 — October 6, 1973

National Gallery [Vic.] - George and Gilbert, 12,000 dollar “living is pursued in slow motion by discreet guards.

girls school has prepared her so well fo r martyrdom that any­ thing less doesn't seem worth it.

She finally gets it together sexually w ith a little help from the ritualism of the Catholic mass and having tasted True Sensuality (which has replaced True Love as the utopia we all, demand now after the long dry western inheritance of Puri­ tanism) wants to take hemlock, like Socrates, and die. Her particular conditioning runs just as deep as the cowboys'.

lonesome cowboys

by Tim Pigott Andy Warhol movies mean different things to different people. Women don't like the way he presents women, men feel uneasy about his send-up of the mate machismo trip, gays claim he rips them off to reassure straight amerikan malehood. Andy, lonesome cowboy of the New York avant garde, doesn't like anyone and holds his camera on humans w ith the same detachment as he does on a Campbell's soup can or a Coke bottle. But then Jonathan Swift was a misanthrope too and if you reject everything S w ift said because he didn't love humanity you may as well never take off those rose-colored sunglasses because you just aren't going to learn much about how people treat each other these days!

Every amerikan boy up to 70 years of age (when death usually attacks the heart due to nervous tension) is a lonesome cowboy.

When Warhol's cowboys ride in to town, however, they tie up

their horses on the fabled horse-rail and practise ballet exercises so the six-guns ride kinda easy over firm hips and buttocks. The Brotherhood in­ dulges in masculine fun and games wrestling and fighting with the odd argument about older brother bringing back strange men to spend the night with in camp (meanwhile, sheriff is in drag . ..).

One cowboy informs us that "young folks get their own horses too early, and want to ride the range alone." What we all need is the love and discipline of Big Brother to keep the family together. But Big Brother has his problems: one of the cowboys wants to ride off into the sunset w ith a drifter who has joined the organisation and go off surfing together in California. The bewildered Big Brother replies: "I sent you to ballet school and you dropped out, now you're blowing your chance to be a cowboy . . ." .

Viva, in a very funny sequence, explains how Catholic

Warhol allows his actors to make their own movie. The self-styled superstars and Beauti­ ful People are faster and funnier and hipper than straight amer,ikans but reveal many of the same hang-ups. Amerikans con­ sume "th e ir" mythology as * avidly as they consume the world's resources.

Warhol focuses on the western and reveals the obvious latent homosexuality and sexual iden­ tity confusion of mate amerikan mythology.

The lighting and camera work is very bad (Warhol has said this himself). It doesn't matter that the film is put together by a New York clique of avant garde egomaniacs because they show us so many things about modern amerikan life (which applies completely here, as an amerikan cultural colony, as well as our vicarious bushranger tradition) irt a wav

POETRY

by Phillip Edmonds Australian Poetry 1972 Selected

by R.F. Brissendean (Angus and Robertson) The 1972 edition of Angus and Robertson's annual poetry anthology is probably even more out of date than any of the preceding editions.

This is a disappointment as over the years Angus and Robertson's have published and promoted many of Australia's leading poets.

What has become almost an institution in Australian literary history (the A&R anthology), is now unfortunately little more than a dismal collection of mostly mediocre verse.

There are- of course the obvious exceptions, Judith W rig h t, Vincent Puckley, Robert Adamson, Bruce Dawe, A.D. Hope and Thomas Shapcott, nevertheless the overall

impression remains of a book that is merely a meeting place for old friends and a reprinting of odd poems, put together under the dubious title of Australian Poetry 1972.

The claim made for the book on the dust cover that it is in effect a representative sample of current writing is fallacious. It does represent some major poetic figures, but it excludes the large and ever growing number of younger poets in this country at the moment. Adam­ son, Dransfield and Tipping are represented but it is a token gesture when space is provided for a number of mediocre academic poets, (i.e. Evan Jones and Peter Steele) whose contri­ butions are just plain awful/ Bruce Dawe, Tom Shapcott and Judith Wright are among the few with something to say. ‘ The inclusion of Peter Porter no matter how good a poet he

not lived in Australia for at least 15 years.

It has been three and a half years since Sun Books published Australian Poetry Now the most representative anthology at that time. In the intervening period several magazines have appeared which cater for relatively unknown writers and who view literature as an ongoing "livin g " process rooted in the future.

This period has also seen the emergence of a number of young poets such as Robert Harris. Combined these poets could very easily change the direction of Australian litera­ ture.

A t a time when the Litera­ ture Board of the Australian Council for the Arts is em­ barking on many worthwhile projects an up to date represen­ tative anthology of Australian poetry is long overdue.

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that more self conscious, ana­ lytical and politically aware people haven't yet.

Two dollars to Harry M. Miller for an Andy Warhol home movie (badly made) is a rip-off, but, then, Warhol, like that, is probably the cheapest and most accessible artist producing art right now anywhere.

FOOTNOTE: Golden Ages are ending all over the place.

Film freaks w ill be sad to note John Ford has ridden his last Stagecoach to the Big Ranch in the Sky.

a doll's house Joseph Losey's new film of Ibsen's A Doll's House is very disappointing. Filming plays — especially A Classic — is always d ifficu lt and Losey's attempt to break away from theatre is to cut up the speeches with snowcovered Christmas-card landscapes and to isolate the events into a period melodrama of one hundred years ago when it still has some psychological relevance right now. It isn't coincidence that another film of this play is being released soon with Claire Bloom as Nora.

The claustrophobic atmos­ phere which Harold Pinter created in Losey's The Servant (a much better film ) would have been perfect for Ibsen's play, but, unfortunately, Pinter didn't work on this screenplay. Ibsen broke new ground in theatre and this play was an astonishing piece of radical sociology but Losey c3n only make a compromise between Jane Fonda's Nora (her last dialogue spoken with lots of conviction) and filming a classic. And then, Jane is so much the Movie Star even as a radical that it's impossible to accept her as anything else than a very twentieth century American.

This is heightened by the contrast of, for instance, Trevor Howard's very well understood Dr Rank.

Anyone who knows the play w on't like this film . Rather than being left with impressions of the film , you wonder about why iLosey made it. A fter all, the women's movement has cut right across American society and could make film makers lots of money: is Losey manipu­ lating Fonda (whose integrity is hard to doubt, although her style is all wrong for this kind of role. She was much more believable as an actress in Klute) to manipulate us? Probably.

After all, Losey was a Stalinist apologist for many years, then, suddenly he makes a film (a very bad one) on Trotsky's assassination (with Richard Bur­ ton, of all people, as Trotsky who certainly had his faults but nobody deserves a second assassination like that and couldn't get it anywhere except in Movieland) followed by a classic play about women's oppression with Jane Fonda (star box office appeal plus political commitment equals critical and commercial success).

Delphine Seyrig is good as Nora's friend; David Warner (usually a great actor in any film ) captures the husband's pomposity but is very unlike the bland and stolid character created by Ibsen. He looks too sensitive for this part. The social outcast (Edward Fox) is very, good and has lots of good lines.

Ibsen used characters like this one to lay down lots of his best social criticisms.

The play, of course, is full of great dialogue and penetrating Insights into human behavior.

However, Losey manages to reduce it to almost nothing: a Norwegian period piece, snow­ flakes and tw ilight, that isn't either a good film or an accurate , translation of Ibsen's great psychological polemic.

sacco fi vanzetti Sacco and Vanzetti were two very poor immigrants, both anarchists, who were murdered by the amerikan legal system in 1927. They had been framed for a $15,000 payroll robbery in which a paymaster and a guard had been shot dead. This i happened in 1920, a few years l

after the first world war had ended and the Russian Revolu­ tion had shaken thé world.

Sacco and Vanzetti were mur­ dered because they were immi­ grants and because they were socialists.

Although both men were poor and uneducated (Nicola Sacco was a shoemaker, Barto­ lomeo Vanzetti, a fishpeddler) when the full weight of bourgeois State power was focused on them, they spoke and behaved with immense human dignity and great elo­ quence. Sacco said in court: "I know the sentence will be between two classes, the op­ pressed class and the rich class, and there will be always collision between one and the other. We fratnerise people with books, w ith literature. You persecute the people, tyranise them, kill them. We try the education of the people always.

You try to put a path between us and some other nationality so that they hate each ther. That is why I am here today on this bench, for having been of the oppressed class. Well, you are the oppressor."

Vanzetti also told the court that it’ was the real murderer. He explained how the trial gave the two men meaningful lives, how they would have died two poor“ workers, instead óf being the centre of a world-wide protest against another amerikan legal murder. Vanzetti concluded, "I am so convinced to be right that you can only kill me once, but if you could execute me two times, and if I could be reborn two other times, I would live again to do what I have done already."

*#*

The film begins with a police raid on migrants and radicals, then flashes back to an Italian anarchist being hurled 14 stories from a police station (this also happened) as the two men are questioned after their arrest.

The film follows the true story with the actors speaking the same 'words the- two anarchists spoke at their trial. It doesn't romanticise them, as the Swedish film of Joe Hilleverybody's -favorite-proletarian movie-star — did.

Before Sacco died he wrote a letter to his son: "When you are playing and you feel happy don't keep this happiness to yourself . . ."

Workers like that don't need a vanguard party to make a revolution.

WHO ?

by pinter pram factory 325 drum m ond st. carlton wed. 12th sept. 9 .3 0 p.m.

ms

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music

sonny ß te rry

PUBS & DISCOS

0 » » NOTES The ABC sent their GTK crew to film the Daddy Cool revival. But in every shot they inadvertently included the danc ing vision of one "D o c " Hamilton, a hip but ageing journalist from Tasmania.

Hamilton — an erstwhile colle­ giate from an as-yet unpublished Rock Press — provided a spectacular gavotte of swoops and darts and circular reels.

A fte r everyone had recovered from their hangovers, Hamilton informed the ABC that they couldn't run the film on air w ithout paying him a dancer's fee.

Just as he looked like getting it, a livid record company intervened by pointing out that "he wasn't bloody invited in the first place," Coming together: Captain Matchbox, after hanging out at Wattle Glen (Vic.) have found Jeff Hales (drums — ex-White Company), Fred Olbrei (violin — ex-Pig Face Choir in Canberra), Dave Flett (bass — ex-Lipp and the Double Decker Bros), and John Schneider (guitar) to fill the holes left when Dave Hubbard, Peter Scott and Peter Inglis qu it some months ago . . . Inglis was recently sighted leading a band called Spanner through a back-up for P. Lillie's Mechanics in a Relaxed Manner . . .

Burton, McGuire and Kennedy have changed their name to Ayer's Rock to accommodate one Tim Doyle. Doyle used to be back-up guitar fo r the West Indian queen of the honky-tonk keyboard, Winifred Atwell . . . former DJ in Manila and later the rocker in H.M. Miller's Grease, Nicky Gazzane has turned up as front singer/dancer for brass-flavored Pendulum.

Daffodils and mirrors: Brian Peacock, ex-Twilights, ex-Gerry's J o y Band and now a stoneground baker threw the Whoopee Spring Celebration at Ormond Hall. The idea is a muso's co­ operative, outside normal agency contracts. The first in this series of Sunday night concerts, fea­ turing Captain Matchbox, Matt Taylor, Paul Joseph, Billy Green, Myriad, another new Rock Gran­ ite, the remnants o f the White Company, and free merry-goround rides lost money, but re­ generated that Nimbin optimism.

The next one is on the 23rd.

said that the members of the band would have to comb the glitter out of the hair on their heads.

Glitter and his hairy chest and his glittering band therewith cancelled their contract and flew back to England, where the folks are more accustomed to such things

In the studios: Mighty Kong, just adding the vocals to a collection of Ross Wilson compositions (plus "Every Time I See You Smile" from Smith).

The sessions were produced by John Fishback who is taking the tapes, and Wilson, back to his Crystal Studios in LA for the final mix. The idea is to avoid that "recorded in a dunny" sound . . . Thorpie, in and out of Armstrong Studios — when he's in town — reported to have cut his ponytail o ff after one particularly thirsty session.

Either way he's been sunning in Surfers' P. w ith a new 1Vi inch brushback . . . M att Taylor has just finished his album — Straight as a Dye. Ecological theme, recorded w ith Chain and Greg Lawrie, here, there and up on the farm . . . Ted Blackall, former freelance graphic artist, from Melbourne has been granted album time from WEA to do a collection of his own, compositions, produced by H Ernie Rose.

Making it: Local boy Rick Springfield's teeny-pop album Comic Book Heroes being pushed in the States, 'tho of the 250 thousand copies sent out, 156 thousand came back. Simi­ lar disparity between the sales and the dream machine's fantasy on the local front, so much so Wizard plans the release of an­ other single from the album, "Why Are You Waiting", to try to give the thing a fresh lease of life . . . Captain Matchbox album, Smoke Dreams, designated the newcomer pick of the week in US trade oracle, Cashbox. The only other album recently grant­ ed the same privilege is Parabram by pop/rock pianist Brian Cadd . . . Entrepreneur Harry M. Miller contemplating a list of "A ll the bands we are not bringing out this year" in the light of Paul Dainty snapping up both Leon Russell and Procul Harum (despite the Miller org.'s earlier claims) . . . Johh Gunnel, sent by entrepreneur Robert Stigwood (of Bee Gees and Cream creations) to sort out the Australian end of his empire, has run o ff to Los Angeles to manage and guide John Mayall's interests there . . .

Jim Sharman (directed Hair and Superstar) and Brian Thompson recalled from London to stage Brecht's Threepenny Opera at the Sydney Opera House .

-

AJ.

by Alan Watson

Q Club: Sat. 8: Band of Light, Mighty Kong, Atlas, Jim Keays, movie. Brown Eye. Sat, 15: Talabene, Dingoes , Red House Roll Band, Jim Keays, movie, Bnown Eye. Sat. 22: Ar iel, Mississippi , Pirana, etc.

Sat. 29: La De Das, Talabene, Alta Mira, etc.

Stanley's Stomp Station: Fri. 7: Sleepy.

Sat. 8: Doug Parkinson Dingoes.

Tue. 11: Mighty Kong.

Thii.113: Hot Dog. Fri. 14: Banyana, Mississippi.

Sat. 15: Sleepy.

Tue. 18: Mighty Kong.

Thu. 20: Ariel.

Fri. 21: Talabene.

Sat. 22: Dingoes.

Tue. 25: Mighty Kong.

Thu. 27: Myriad.

Fri. 28: Alta Mira.

Sat. 29: Tank.

Thu. 4: Tank.

Godzilla: Sun. 23: Mighty Kong, Rock Granite and Profiles, Tarzan vs. Gorilla, filme, etc.

Easy Rider: Fri. 7: Big Push.

Sat. 8: John Rupert Henchmeh.

Wed. 12: Mighty Kong.

T hu. 13: Tank.

Fri. 14: Big Push.

and

Sat. 15: John Rupert Henchmen.

Thu. 20: Red House Roll Fri. 21: Big Push.

Sat. 22: John Rupert, Henchmen.

Wed. 26: Mighty Kong.

Thu. 27: Red House Roll Fri. 28: Big Push.

Sat. 29: John Rupert Henchmen.

Wed. 3: Mighty Kong.

Thu. 4: Red House Roll Fri. 5: Big Push.

Sat. 6: John Rupert Henchmen.

jJÉfcL

Phone 61.2889.

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Band. and

Band. and

Iceland: Sun. 9: Sun. 16: Sun. 23: Sun. 30:

Buffalo Drive.

Red House Roll Band.

Ariel.

Mississippi.

Southside Sat. 3: Sat. 15: Sun. 23:

6: Mighty Kong.

Red House Roll Band.

Pirana.

Sundowner: Fri. 7: Buffalo Drive.

Red House Roll Band.

Sat. 8: Wed. 12: Pirana.

Thu. 13: Frankie Davidson.

Fri. 14: Red House Roll Band.

Sat. 15: New Rondells.

Wed. 19: Madder Lake.

Thu. 20: John Rupert and Henchmen.

Fri. 21: Red House Roll Band.

Sat. 22: Up. Wed. 26: Aztecs.

Thu. 27: Big Push.

Fri. 28: Red House Roll Band.

Sat. 29: New Rondells.

International Hotel: Fri. 7: Band of Light.

Fri. 14 Myriad.

Fri. 21 Aztecs.

Fri. 28 Aztecs.

addresses

Band of Light Buffalo Drive, Tank, feat. 15: Pirana, Tank, Col ! 'ored Sails. feat. 22: ¡ Myriad, Red House Roll Band, Up, Issy Di. Sat. 29: Tank, Aztecs, Red Hosue Roll Band.

3052.

more than a hint of tl)e church in it, but understated. His guitar work is by no means flashy either, he doesn't go for ripping of licks, but his accompaniment has a logic and understanding to it that shows he has a rare feeling fo r the music. Spare, almost laconic, each inflection of voice and guitar embodies a wealth of meaning. Add to this the choked, muted, harp work

by Sonny and you have a classic performance.

Sonny, on the other hand, is almost a polar opposite. He gives an immediacy to all that he plays, sings or says.

Both men rap between numbers. Sonny intense, per­ sonal, rapping on about his past — his women, his drinking, his fears and his happiness. Brownie muses on ironies of life, like how soul food has now become a symbol of black pride, but how he can remember lyrics of old blues.

D o n't want no corn bread, black peas, and molasses. I t hurts m y pride.

How the public's image of blues singers is often still unliberated, still working on racial stereo­ types. Their personalities per­ meate their music.

Sonny didn 't really hit his peak until the second set of the evening. He did a bracket of three numbers where he sang and blew his arse off. On "Jet Plane", "When I was D rinking", and "N ight and Day" he showed that he stands alone, even today, as a blues shouter and mouthharpist.

He integrates voice and instrument into a continual dialogue, building up tensions then releasing them with superbly timed breaks on the harp. Sonny backed him with magnificent rhythm guitar, adding to it all w ith discreet little fills and taut, edgy runs.

Sonny and Brownie, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells have all been here this year making it the best year ever for blues in Australia. If John Lee Hooker makes it later this

year it will be better still.

The two albums — Back To New O rleans (F a n ta sy FYL431/2) and Sonny and Brownie (AM34805) show d if­ fering facets of their talents.

The Fantasy album represents two different sessions made in 1959-60. The latter session is somewhat marred by the inclu­ sion of Roy Haynes on drums, who does add to some numbers, but in general his brushwork — laying down a fla t uninteresting sound — impairs the overall performance. But the first session is some of their finest recorded work. On "L e t Me Be Your Dog", they turn out a perfectly coherent blues. Brow­ nie's singing and guitar are superb, and Sonny's counter­ melody on mouthharp shows the complete empathy they can attain.

The A&M album finds Sonny and Brownie in a very different, contemporary bag: Very funky, with a big backing group including A rlo Guthrie, John Nayall, Sugarcane Harris and John Hammond. As well as these are Jerry McGhee (a relative?) who plays fine dobroand guitar and Eddie Greene whose drumming throughout is outstanding. Together they re­ present an extremely fine contemporary band who get into the diverse material with drive and style.

But *it isBrownie's album. He handies ghetto funk — Mayfield's "People Get Ready" soul — Sam Cook's "Bring it Home" or Randy Newman's "Sail Away” w ith equal aplomb. Only one track is below standard — "W hite Boy Lost in the Blues", which never gets going and is brought down completely with a disastrous vocal chorus by John Mayall.

Along with Champion Jack Dupree with King Curtis at Montreau, and John Lee Hooker's Kabuki Wuki album.

Sonny and Brownie ranks as one of the best blues albums of the year.

Mechanics

in a Relaxed Manner

at the Back Theatre, Pram Fac­ tory. This is it, the theatrical flash o f the year. Mechanics rock in Vinny Haskell-Grease's cool little lubritorium . This show w ill make you laugh and dance. Only five more chances: two shows, Friday, September 7, two shows Saturday 8, and one on the Sunday. You'd be mad to miss i t ,

NEWCASTLE Gay Liberation, 62 Henry Street, Tighes Hill, Newcastle, NSW.

Campaign Against Moral Per­ secution, Box 5074 GPO, Sydney, 2001.

Guidance Service, 82.4023.

style of the hip bohemia of New York of which they were a part during its most creative period.

The same millieu as painters de Koonig and Pollock or the literary set who used to hang out at the villages San Remo bar — like Mailer, Styron, Ginsberg or Kerouac. V ital, self con­ scious, taking their art seriously but above all not getting hung up on artistry as such, like Capote or Warhol did later.

And it was this, as well as the blues, that Sonny and Brownie brought to Dallas Brooks Hall.

A rt w ithout artiness, hipness w ithout camp artificiality. On the centre stage Sonny was seated on a Vienna chair while Brownie perched on a high stool, and a small amp rested on a couple of chairs nearby. No props, no glitter, just two old guys w ith a guitar and a mouth harp who, w ith consumate ease and extraordinary affability entertained and delighted a capacity crowd for almost three hours.

They had the audience rapt in a few minutes. A few funnies from Sonny (an expert on-thecorner humorist), a couple of up-tempo numbers to warm things up, some wry, dry comments from Brownie, and they were away. Four musical voices, their own, plus Sonny's mouthharp and Brownie's guitar.

They run the gamut of the blues tra d itio n ,. favoring no particular bag. Old fo ik things like "John Henry", boogies, classic blues like "C.C. Rider", things that draw on the Kansas City style fo r their light, swinging pulse, and Sonny's more recent material. But it was Brownie on laid back numbers who contributed the most outstanding moments of the evening. His version of the Leroy Carr classic, "M idnight Hour Blues", one of the greatest of the blues both lyrically and musically, did full justice to the old master's work. Brownie's delivery is unique, soulful, with

GOSSIP

SYDNEY Gay Liberation, PO Box A76, Sydney South, 2000.

51.2654.

TAM W O RTH CAMP/Gay Liberation, PO Box 148, Tamworth, NSW. 65.7618.

A D E LA ID E Gay Activists' Alliance, C/o 43 Foster Street, Parkside, SA, 5067.

71.2252 or 44.6260.

A R M ID A L E Gay Society,

Box 581, Armidale, NSW.

BRISB A N E. Campaign Against Moral Per­ secution, Box 2374 GPO, Brisbane.

Clu brooms: 379 George Street. 21.9373.

Campaign Against Moral Per­ secution, Box 1204 K GPO, Adelaide, 5001, SA. LAUNCESTON Box 627, Launceston, Tas.

Nimrod St. Production o f

HAMLET Opening Sept.. 28 for 3 weeks

Fri. 7: Sat. 8:

Tank, Chain, $2.00.

Hot Dog, Madder Lake. $ 2 . 00 .

Sun. 10: 2 hour concert — Mighty Kong and John Graham.

Fri. 14: Mackenzie Theory, Ayers Rock.

Sat. 15: 2 hour concert — by special request Mighty Kong, and Dingoes (late).

Sun. 16: Ariel.

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee turned on a great show at their Melbourne concert on August 11. A really rich and mellow performance. And the venue contributed to the excel­ lence of it all. The Dallas Brooks Hall alone in Melbourne has superb acoustic properties and an intimacy ideal for small groups or solo performers. For a listener who has had to endure the primeval acoustics of Mel­ bourne's Festival Hall all too often it is a marvel to hear great musicians in a hall in which every note, sung or played, comes across with a ringing undistorted clarity.

To coincide w ith the tour two record companies released albums by Sonny and Brownie both definitive examples of stages of their artistic develop­ ment. Fantasy's double album Back to New Orleans comes from two 1960 sessions, and A&M's Sonny and Brownie which has also just been released in the U.S., shows that they can handle other material than "country blues" with rare competence.

In fact, they're not "country blues" musicians. To be sure this is an important part of their musical roots but it denies the significance of the greater part of their musical career. Along with other black and white musicians like Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger who converged on New York in the early forties, they became two of the voices of the radical left bohemia that thrived in the Greenwich Village area for over two decades. In those 20 years Sonny's harp work has become far more articulate, while Brownie has developed a unique singing style and his guitar style, while still w ithin the perimeters of country blues has developed a restrained — possibly unique — musical sensibility.

They reflect the panache and

Blaises Sat. 8

Society Five, BOx 1801 GPO, Melbourne, 3001.

Cl u brooms: 270 Lonsdale Street.

663.4555.

contact

MELBOURNE'S ONLY DISCO

and

M ELBO URNE Gay Liberation, Box 85 Union House,.

Melbourne University, 489. 7830.

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Australia'i beat range o f radical political literature. Mall orders Welcome.

Band.

Fri. 7: John Rupert Group.

Sa t. 8: Big Push.

Sun. 9: Fantasy.

Mon. 10: John Rupert and Henchmen.

Tue. 11: Light Brigade.

Wed. 12: Kush.

Thu. 13: Pirana.

Fri. 14: John Rupert and Henchmen.

Sat. 15: Big Push.

Sun. 16: Fantasy.

Wed. 19: Kush.

Thu. 20: Ray Brown's 1 Ton Gypsy, Sat. 22: Big Push.

Sun. 23: Fantasy.

Wed. 26: Kush.

Thu. 27: La De Das. Sat. 28: Big Push.

Sun. 29: Fantasy.

17 Elizabeth St., Melbourne.

and

Croxton Park:

gay StottfCnaiunicti/

REVIEW

Ponch Hawkes

They said he'd never re­ turn: British rock star Gary Glitter was told to button up his shirt ot close his act in Spain recently.«The number one British rocker was scheduled for a concert in Spain, but author­ ities there, didn't like thé idea of all those Spanish girls looking at Gary's hairy chest. They also

*

Page 11

THE DIGGER

September 8 — October 6, 1973

Front Theatre, Pram Factory 325 Drummond Street, Carlton.

347.7133

ONE LIVE BADGER

366I^goaSLCaribo ÿBVBÎ

GRAND SLAM SALE BRASS PHONOGRAM NEEDLES Some like new, others slightly bent with green mould — No Reasonable Offer Refused.

Godzilla

Another Longhair's Special — to confound even Jerkers & Eggheads, Turd Hall and Diptheria Records.

★

The H ill Spring R ock Carnival at the Orange Blossom Festival F E A T U R IN G M IG H T Y KONG

OPEN AIR ROCK CONCERT & VARIETY SIDE SHOWS Discotheques, folk-rock, picnic grounds, etc.

ROCK G R A N IT E & PROFILES, T A R Z A N VS. THE G O R IL LA !

SPECIAL F U L L LENGTH FEA TUR E F IL M & MO RE!!

BADGER featuring Dave Foster, Tony Kaye, Roy Dyke, Brian Parrish.

THE

Castle Hill Showgrounds S U N D A Y 23rd SEPTEMBER Parking Available $2.00 per head (inclusive), $6.00 per car load (max. 5)

6 -

12 PM, SUNDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER ORMOND HALL, MOUBRAY STREET, PRAHRAN

FROM

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ON

By popular request FLOWN BACK INTO THE CITY TQ * SCHMUTTER LANE For The Very First Time

w ith clothes designed and fabricated by Master Craftsmen

ATLANTIC

* Flinders La. btwn. Elizabeth & Swanston.