AUCKLAND CARPENTERS' SECRETARY FINED £20.

Chronicle (Levin), 9 March 1948, Page 6

AUCKLAND CARPENTERS' SECRETARY FINED £20.

! AUCKLAND, M-arcli S. The Sc'relary of tlu; Auckland bruiich oi' Ihe New Zealand Carpenters' and .loinrrs' Union (Donald McEwem was iined 120 wlion he appeared before Alr. J. II. Lu.xfonl, S.M., 011 two charges brought under the Strike and Lockout Lti'.ergency Regulations 1039. The lirst charge was flint 011 or about January 21 at Auckland he incited a class of persons, to wit meinbers of the branch, to be parties to a strike, naniely a stopwork meeting to be lield 011 January 27. The secoinl charge was that 011 or about Februarv 4, he incited all carpenters to be parties to a strike, naniely a stopwork meeting to be lield 011 February 1(). Defeiidant pleaded not guiltv. Long before the case began everv incli of space in the public gallery o,f the Courti'oom was takeii by more thaii 100 men most of wlibni had .to'Stand throughout the two and a-quarter liour liearing. The police had to make several requesls for order before the Magistrate entered. At qne stage defeiidant liimself went into. tlie C'ourtvoom and said he liad been asked by Court oflicials to request the nien to give the Court necessary respect. /■ A few niinntes before the Magistrate entered, a mai) in the gallery niade a remark and the senior sergeant tohi him to leace. When he' coniplained tlie ' senueaiit csc.orted him out.

rflie demonstration organised by the Auckland branch .of the ,NeW' .Zealand Carpenters' aird ' joiners " " Union 'and ' supported by some other trades unious aiiiliated with, tlie Auckland Trades Council was held today before aml during tlie liearing of cliarges in. the .Magistrate 's Court against two ofricers of the1 Carpenters ' Union.' It took the i'orm of a procession t'rom Myers Park to tlie .Magistrate 's Court and develoj)ed into an inifiromptu ineeting in the lower part of Albert I'ark near tlie Court. Although fewer tliaii 5-9U men were 111 the mai .11 procession the slrength had apparently doubled by the 'timo ihe party reached Albert' Park. The parade and subsequent ineeting were ordorly ahd many of tliose wjio marched appeared self couscious to the poiut of embai'rassment. Considerable ' persuasion 011 the part of trades union oflicials was necessary before some of the groups of men lounging 011 tlie foot]>ath outside Myers oPark' joined the ranks tuid others who were in the park drifled away before the march began. The parade was led by the two men i gairist vvhom charges were to be heard, Mr C. L. Jioor, president of the Auck.'and branch of tlie Carpenters ' Union, and Alr D. AlcHwen, secretary. Tliey ti ea ded ihe lirst section of about ioU earjienters 'and next came abouf 120 /niembers of-fhe Drivers' Union lieaded nv the secretary (.Mr L. .Matthews) and ihe roa r was brought up by the largest group of nearly 20Q waterside workers •uid others. The march down Queen Street was (piiet and uueventful and altractod comparatively Jittlo public iuterest. Several trades union leadors addre.ssed the meeting. The doors of the Court wero opened and there was a rush by several hundred men to try to euter. Onlv a Kina II proportion Vuicceed'ed, the reniainder congj'egating lemporarily about the entrance and forining a lane t h rough which the two defendants were carried to the door slioulder liigh'amid . cheers and back slapping. Wliile the Court was in sesyion Ihe crowd continued its tneeting. Although tlie liearing took two and a quarter liours the bulk of the crowd reiuained in Albert J'.afk to the linisli. Cheers greeted tlie uews tha-t the cluirge against Moor had been disniissed and Ihe crowd without its bannors chaired the two defendants out of the court yard and quietly faded away.