CLIMAX NEARING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1539, 7 September 1912, Page 5

CLIMAX NEARING.

THE POSITION AT WAIHI,

ACTION BY POLICE AUTHORITIES,

Information which was gleaned in WeiliiiKton yesterday wakes it quite clear that the. police authorities of the Dominion look upon the situation in Waihi as move serious than tho general public smiii to regard it. The police are' preparing .for any emergency that may arise. Gradually tho small Waihi police force was increased until recently, ami in the liiM, few cloys, additional constables have been sent there in large numbers. It was reckoned that them were about 00 policeiiieii m Waihi yesterday, and it is said I i:it moro arc, 011 tho way, and that moro V !1 ™ io;ba sent to-morrow. Among the roinformnenbaro half „ score of men irom Wellington. Yesterday morning about a dozen constables from .Christ church passed through Wellington on jneir way to the scene of possible trouble 10-monw morning tho southern steamer pii * ! " lotllCl ' iloMii or so members 01 tiio torco in this oily, and these will l» duly dispatched to Waihi. f,. , ~ U u a is , tll 1 t kis hMcr to Prevent tiouble than to have to face the task of quelling it, and so as many men as can be mustered are being sent to Wnilii, in the hopo that a big show of polico will (ii.scourogo any troublesome people in tho town from giving their feelings full play. It is thought probable that tho climax will be reached in a very few days. ESCORTED BY STRIKERS. Writing on Wednesday, Iho Waihi correspondent of the Auckland "Star" states: Uno of the engine-drivers had occasion about lo clock to pay a visit to his doctor It was perfectly obvious that ho had been marked out by tho pickets, who, according to tho almost invariable practice, shadow each member of tho recentlyiormed Drivers' and Firemen's Union, in a surprisingly short time men poured out of the Miners' Union Hall, and a body of strikers, to tho number of over 200 'fell in behind the engine-driver and kept closnyat his heels As he made his way lo the doctor s gato there was nothing said "J't they followed-very much as a flock ot fowls.follows tho person who carries the food into Iho yard. A favourite means of indicating their opinion of tho object ol their displeasure was tho frequent holding of noses, as if to BURgort that (ho presence of an engine-driver was unpleasant. When (ho man who was beinfollowed reached the doctor's residence, ho took the opportunity to telephone to several fellow-members of the Engine-drivers' Union, who arrived in duo course lo tho "umber of about half a dozen. Leavrn' Uifl doctor vS residence in a party thev were escorted, as before, by the wailing strikers. By this time Mounted Constable Manner (who was in charge in Waihi during the absence of Sergeant Weillmann at Waikino) and Mounted Constable Blakeley, with other constables, about eight in all, had assembled, and they warned tho offenders to cearo their objectionable behaviour. Many of them went away immediately, the others fell back, and (ho diminished procession gradually melted away. It 520-nis probable that the strikers in Waihi Vero surprised at tho number of police still available, notwithstanding tho strong detachment posted at Waikino. It is estimated that to-iiMit there ars not mors than thirty members of the Miners' Union at Waikino, others having returned to Waihi.-"

In addressing the crowd of strife following the engine-drivers, Constable Skinner pointed out that the police were taking quite a neutral, attitude- regarding tl>o dispute, bnt were out to maintain law and order, and if the law were broken immediate action would bo taken, to bring A FEELING OF SECURITY. The Waihi correspondent of the Auckland 'Herald," writing on Wednesday, states: . The present position would seem to imlieato now safely come into the district, and tako up such v;ork as the Waihi Company has to ofler. The mure who come the stronger the resistance they would be ablo to niako to any organised attempt to terrorise or interfere with them. So successful have the reinforced police been in persuading strikers to restrain themselves, that a feeling of security has been already implanted in the minds of the townspeople. It is hoped, however, that still more- police may be sent, and ljusiness people to-day decided to appeal to the l'rinio Minister for some fuither preventive measures to be taken. If this courso is adopted, there would be no reason whatever why workers opposed to tho federation should not come into Wailu and Wuikiuo in sufficient numbers to enable- work to lie resumed all round, •