THE DEPUTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 10

THE DEPUTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

NEWSPAPER COMMENT

The Wellington "Post" has a trenchant leader on the statements of the strikers' deputation to the Christchurch City Council the other night, and their "pledges" on account of the strikere. Referring to Mr Thorn's statement as to tho behaviour of the Wellington strikers being good beforo the special constables were introduced, the "Post" gays:—"His statement is absolutely the reverse of tho truth, a-s the public here will gladly testify.' Tho peace here was. scandalously broken before the ••specials" arrived. Several outbreaks of violent lawlessness had occurred on the waterfront, and the working of ships was stopped by t'orco. Tli.: Strike Committee had complete domination at tho head of the wharf, and traffic was held up, w:uitonb~. Tnis despotic regime, backed up by howling mobs of striker's, did not ccaso till a strong body of mounted men put awe into trie terrorisers. Auckland's experience »vas exactly the tamo as Wellington's; the strikers had tho mastery or the wharves, and did not hesitate at violence, till they wero compelled by protectors of the public to respect the law in public places. Events at the three ports have proved .that the ttrikers defy tho law till sufficient upholders of tho law are mar- j dialled to chock offenders and bring j them to Court for punishment." Referring to .statements of other Christchurch apologists for disorder, the "Post" says: —"The persistent untruthfiilneßs about the 'provocation' of 'specials'—and the 'peace' till they are mustered—is evidently part of a campaign of wilful fiction and misrepresentation. Days ago we remarked that a cause which has to depend on such disreputable shifts must indeed be in sorry plight. While the people are marvelling at the monstrous structures of falsehood and tho broken faith of tho strikers, they may also wonder at tho folly of the* Lyttelton men who imagined that an ox-like rush yesterday would give them an advantage. It is amazing that they have not profited by the defeat of such crude tactics and the suppression of lawlessness at Wellington and Auckland. Perhaps the explanation is that they disbelieve utterly the trustworthy testimony, and prefer to believe the impudent" arrant perversion, distortion, and reversal of facta, as circulated by certain strike organisers."