WAIHI—THE TRIALS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1550, 20 September 1912, Page 5

WAIHI—THE TRIALS.

STILL GOING ONWARD " FOLLOWERS" IN COURTAND BOUNB OVER. ' CASES NEARINQ THE END. (By Teloeraph.-Preis Association.! Waihi, September 19. At the Magistrate's Court to-day tlio following were charged with followiuu l'ri.'o labourers 011 Soploinbor 1 in on of- | tensive and threatening manner:—Adams, Archer, l'arkin, Onion, Lord, Wingale, Lindwall, Neagle, Young, A. Lindwall, and liond. All the defendants pleaded not guilty. Charges against O'Grady, Bond, Sfanbridge, and W. Lcnnon for following another free labourer were also preferred. Tliey also pleaded not guilty. Evidence supporting the informations was given l>y police constables and the men followed. Only ono witness was called for the defence. Defendant in this case declined to go into tlio witness-box. Mr. Smith, who conducted the cases for the defendants, contended that the men ha'd not been guilty of any offence. Th'ey had only been doing their duty from an organisation point of view. The magistrate said that it was most regrettable to see these men get into th's trouble. . It was not a question of differences between the police and members of a union—it was an offence against public order. In.the case of a free labourer he could not seo what good purpose could be nttaincd by following him tip. ly there was no attempt made by the 6trikors or pickets in the matter of "conversion." At best the free labourer in question must have been recognised as a man beyond redemption from the strikers' standpoint, so that no good effect could lollow, and what happened could only result'in causing annoyance. Jluydcn'.scaso }ias another sample. There was no such thing as police supervision in the case of a person bound over to keep tile peace. Legitimate picketing was not in tho least ullected b.y signing the bond, and he could not seo where any hardship was imposed. All that ho could do was to make an order, in tlio usual form, that these men should enter into a recognisance in a sum of ,£lO and a surety of .£lO to keep the peace for 12 months. Tho magistrate went oil to say thnt"th« polico would have no objection to u reasonable number of pickets conversing freely with engine-drivers or frer).labourers, providing that tlio men did not absolutely object to these pickets. It was only incumbent upon strikers not to adopt such an attitude,as might cause annoyanco to thoso followed, or provoke a breach of tho peace. Ho would instruct the polico not to provent legitimate efforts at conversion. Inspector Wright said that the polico were quito prepared to do as the magistrate had suggested, but it must be niado clear to the strikers that they would not permit following if those followed objected. — Guynor, a member of the Strike Committee, was then -.charged with an offence with respoot to engine-drivers in a public place, he having, it' was alleged, adopted a threatening and offensive manner. Defendant pleaded not guilty. He admitted being with the crowd; but denied being offensive. ' Evidence by Engine-drivers Thompson and Langdon and the polico was given, and this, in the opinion of tho magistrate, wns conclusive. Gaynor was ordered to And a personal surety of ,£lO and another of .CIO to keep tho peace for twelve months. In all the cases time was asked to find 6iirfities, and the magistrate agreed to givo them until -to-morrow morning. It would appear,, from \vhat can bo gathered to-night, that tho men who have been asked to find sureties will not make much effort in that direction. F. Archer pleaded not'guilty to charges of having uspd obscene language at Waikinn. After hearing evidence the magistrate dismissed the charge, remarking that he seemed a "decent sort of fellow," and, although the weight of evidence was against him, he (the magistrate) was not inclined to convict. Tho fact that proceedings had been instituted against him would act as a warning and deterrent. Adams was convicted, and the magistrate said that this case .was entirely different from that of Archer's. Defendant hiul previously been convicted of a similar olt'enco, but he was loath to send him to prison, and, if he would undertake to control his tongue, he would do 110 more than indict a fine. Adams promised.to do so, and, when it was seen that the costs totalled .£8 6s, Bd., a fine was uot imposed. In conclusion the magistrate remarked that the cases, so far brought under his notice, had made it apparent that there had been some reason for the Dumber ot police now present. Proceedings will conclude to-morrow with the informations alleging often,ces committed at Waikino. In all, to-day, 24 men were bound over to keep the peace. A portion ot the .treatment plant at the Waihi Company's Waikino battery was put into commission to-day. FOLLOWING A CRIPPLE. The case against George Midwinter for following up and annoying was dismissed. Seven others—Francis rut-man, Albert Hughes, Clias. O'T'oole, Harks, K. Worth, and -. Coghlnn-wcre charged with following on old and crippled man named Hayden. After hearing the evidence the magistrate said that ho was satisfied that an offence hod been committed. He thought that it ivas the most cowardly "following up" case which ho had dealt with, 'lhe treatment of Hoyden—an old and undersized man—was most shametul. Defendants were ordered to find personal sureties in .£lO, and another surety in ,£*2o, to keep the peaoe for 12 months. The costs were .£3 7s. in each case. A request to be allowed till to-morrow morning to find the sureties was granted. Clias. Barman, a foreigner, was charged with following up 3. Kathamel Williams and Arthur Williams, both of whom were employed by the "Waihi Company I ho evidence adduced satisfied the magistrate that an offence had lioon committed. Accused was ordered to find similar sureties to keep tho peace for 12 months, lhe costs amounted to I'll 6s. lOd, STRIKERS' WIVES. The wives of the imprisoned strikers applied yesterday to tlio Waihi Charitable Aid Board for relief, stating that the Strike Committee had refused them strike pay owing to their husbands not being present to answer the. roll call. As the board is financially at a low ebb, it was decided to represent the case to the Prime Minister. A depiitation of mothers waited on the headmaster of the Central School to ask him to excuse, their children from drill until their fellow workers were released from gaol. As drill—both cadet and physical—is part of the school syllabus, the teachers have no option in the matter. This was pointed out to the deputation. It is understood that the objectors to their children drilling intend to apply to the Board of Education for exemption. PROTEST NEGATIVED. (By Tsleeraph— Press Association.! Auckland, September 19. At n mooting of the council of the United Labour Party a motion; protesting against the treatment of the Waihi strikers was negatived by 13 votes to i, on tho ground that the men had been imprisoned not for striking but for breaking the THE MEN IN GAOL. Auckland, September 19. The Waihi strikers confined in the Auckland gaol for refusing to find sureties to keep tho peace, beyond the deprivation of their liberty are not under any . hardship. Their.food is plain, but wholesome; they are confined ill n yard by themselves! and have no social intercourse with (lie other prisoners. The gaol librarv is at their disposal, and they can receive any literature supplied by friends. They are, however, deprived of tobacco. They can be visited by friends oneo a month. The sjolm ststoa that in tho event of any perilous wishing to make arrange-

ments for their release by finding the required sureties, he will lie only too glad to relax this regulation. LABOUR RESOLUTIONS. Auckland, September 19. The waterside workers carried a resolution condemning the imprisonment of lh« Waihi miners for peaceful picketing, and demanding their instant'release I rom prison. Christchurch, September IS. The secretary of the Labourers' Union, which is affiliated to the Federation of Labour, telegraphed to the Premier today:—"This union strongly protests against imprisonment of Waihi men, and demands their immediate release." Ho olso telegraphed In Air. Pavne, M.P., in similar terms, with the addition: "Move ill the matter at once." GISBORNE* RESOLUTION. (By Telecrauli —Pr«6s Association.! GTsborne, September 19. At: a largely-attended public meeting tho following resolution was carried:—"l'hat this meeting of citizens censures the Government tor sending police to Waihi, and demands that the men imprisoned in connection with the strikes be immediately released."