THE TROUBLE AT WAIHI.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1604, 22 November 1912, Page 5

THE TROUBLE AT WAIHI.

. . $ THE PROPOSED INQUIRY. MR. HERDMAN'S ATTITUDE. CHARGES WANTED IN BLACK AN3 WHITE. ■. ■ •• ' A Federation of Labour, .deputation which interviewed the Prime Minister at Auckland on Wednesday asked that tho Government should set up a commission of inquiry, in regard to tho recent riots at Wuihi. Interviewed by a Dominion roportcr yesterday, the Hou. A. L. Herdmau made the following'statement in reference to the proposal:— .... "I know of no reason for holding an inquiry. No definite charges have been made to me by the Federation, and until they havo been formulated and untilT a'ni convinced that complaints aro founded upop truth',. I cannot say whether it would be worth while allowing one. I havo no personal objection to an investigation except upon tho ground of waste of time and waste of money. Meantime I know of nothing .which would justify/the Go.vornment in acceding to the request which the Federation loaders made to .the Prima Minister.

'After the inquest upon Etcm had started, Mr. O'lfogan, tho Federation solicitor, requested me to havo the inquiry held at Auckland instead of at Waihi.: Ho also took exception to Mr. .Wallnutt acting as coroner, and asked that some-' one else should act. Both requests' were refused by mo upon two grounds! .First, Waihi is tho most convenient place for holding tho inquest. Most of the witnesses live there; and, second, I believe that Mr. Wallnutt is an honest and cap. able man. Mr. O'Eegau made some geni fal complaints and these I have sent on to the Commissioner of Police for a report. Beyond Mr. O'Eegan's communications I have' received no notice from the Federation of any charges, etc., against tho police or anyone else. -.. . "Supposing a commission wero appointed," the Minister continued, "what would they inquire about? I will gladly consider any charges which tho Federation may care to put in black and white, and send on to me. They should do this, and their charges should have some foundation in truth. What actually happened at Waihi has been so distorted and so hidden behind a cloud of perversion that an investigation might make matters clear and , enable the public to distinguish 'tho wood from the trees,' but yond that in my opinion, it would serve no good purpose'. "Tho federationists are angry with the police. This 'is but .natural. ;. P never know any body of men who found the restrictions of the law embarrassing look with a friendly eye upon a police- constable. Mr. Frascr says that 1800 people havo been driven out of Waihi. This is nonsense. The people could havo stayed if they had liked, and they would have been well protected by the police had they. remained. The men were either enticed away or had not the courage to stay. Let ters may have been written by arbitrationists ordering people out of tho town. I know nothing of that excepting whai I have read in the papers. "Mr. Fraser also sneaks al>out a reign' of terror in Waihi. This is just as ridichr lous as other statements made by; the federationists. The reign of terror in Wnihi came to an end when Mr. Fraser and his fellow federationists took their departure, and citizens are now living a peaceful, civilised life. No one who goes to Waihi to-day need have the slightest fear. Everyone will b© well protected. "When the Commissioner of Police went to Waihi," the Minister' stated in conclusion, "he w.c.s instructed: First, to see that men who wanted to work were permitted'to work without molestations and, second, to see that individuals and property were protected and that the law was obeyed. These instructions have been carried out."