WAIHI TERRORISE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1609, 28 November 1912, Page 5

WAIHI TERRORISE.

TRIALS GOING ONTHE POSITION SUMMED UP. BY MR. COTTER, K.C. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Waihi, November 27. On resumption of the breach of peaco prosecutions in tho Magistrate's Court this morning, William' J. Swears and Thos. Tobin were charged with having used threatening behaviour in Main Street on November 9. There was no appearance of Tobin. Senior-Sorgeant M'Kinnon deposed that lie heard tho word "scab" used, and Tobin and Swears began fighting, which witness stopped. Tho conduct of the strikers was a continual howl. Epithets such as "scab," etc., were commonly used every day in tho public street. The police wore unablo to copo with tho conduct. Men were summoned, but preferred gaol rather than observe the law. The women were just as bad; they didn't confine themselves to insulting language, but also threw 6toncs and rotten eggs. Witness had a narrow escape of being struck on tho head by a stone as big as his fist in the main street. Ho remonstrated on several occasions with the' strikers and the women. Tho reply was: "Take your dirty scoundrels off the street" (meaning the police). Witness said Delaney and his wife received shocking treatment when they hadn't given the slightest provocation. He warned the strikers continually, but they took no heed. The police came in for abuse, and were alluded to as Massey's protectors, pimps, etc. When remonstrated with, tho strikers said they didn't care a hang , about the law. As a sample of the language, he heard a single young woman say to workers: "You dirty,, rotten, goty, cancerous scabs." Sergeant Miller said he was in Seddon Street on the morning of the 11th. He saw Conrick, a striker, running, with Delaney and others following. He saw Conrick struck, and fall on his knees. Witness pushed the crowd back, and got Conrick into stables near by. Conrick thanked him. The statement in the ."Maoriland Worker" that Conrick was kicked in the ribs was untrue. A fav-. ouritc expression of the womenfolk was: "You lousy scab." Another frequent one was: "Go to your kennel, you prostitute," hurled at workers happening to show themselves outside their homes. The effect of the conduct of the strikers on the workers and their wives was distressing. The federation women used hatpins and sticks. Witness appealed to Fraser, a leader of the federation, about the wopien's conduct. Fraser replied that he would not advise the women. If they did wrong the police should arrest them. , This concluded the evidence in the charge against Delaney.. , > Mr. Cotter, K.C, on the Terrorism. Mr. Cotter, K.C, addressing the Court on behalf of the arbitration workers, said that, in the history of the Dominion, there had not been, up to the present time, any need for such a prosecution as his Worship was now concerned in. Unfortunately, in this district, where there was less reason for any industrial trouble than in any other part of the Dominion, or, for that matter, in any other part of tho world, misguided individuals, for their own selfish purposes, had brought about a state of affairs which was most regrettable. If individuals were so foolish as to bring themselves within the particular section of the statute and break the law of the land, then those individuals must take the necessary consequences. If other individuals kept the law, they were entitled to its protection. Not only, however, had those persons themselves been interfered with, but their wives and families, who had done nothing whatever, further than being by marriage connected with these individuals, could not obtain the protection which they were entitled to. It was very remarkable that those persons should 1m confined as prisoners in their homes, and not able to visit, in the ordinary way, or do shopping." This regrettable, strike was not started on ordinary grounds, but really begun where there was no crying necessity for alterations in the conditions of life, or for an increase of wages. Tho strike was declared because a certain number of persons who thought that they were not protected by the old union, decided to form a union of their own. One objection to the old union was that, if a membar sought to express a grievance, and if that'member happened to be in the minority, he had no chance of expressing it. He; was hounded down by the majority. The votes were taken—not by secret ballot, but by open voting. If a voter on the minority side voted against the majorivy, his life was not worth living. Directly that a number of men determined that they would no longer belong to this particular union; and would form one of their own, an ultimatum wis given by the original union (under the Federation) that, unless the company insisted that these persons should cease to form this union, and that they be told that they (the company) would not employ any of thorn, they (the fedorationists) would absolutely refuse to go on with their work. This particular union, in order not to be bound by arbitration laws, had ceased to be a union under the Arbitration Act in order that they might havo tho right of striking. Not only did the federation's desire'to cease work themselves, but they had determined by their tactics, not to permit others to gD to work. It was the illegal conduct of these' persons that had brought about the crisis. All that the arbitrationists had wished was that they should be permitted to carry out their work in the ordinary way without molestation to themselves or their families, and to te freed from the reign of terrorism. Notwithstanding the introduction of a force of police ten times greater than that which had been previously required to maintain law and order in Waihi, this terrible conduct had been continued by the strikers, and it had been shown that the force of police was still not adequate to prevent interference- With the workers aud their families. Despite prosecutions and warnings from the Bench, tho law had been flouted until the workers had entered upon their own emancipation. It had gone forth to tho world that the Waihi strike had been "cleanly conducted," and had been devoid of objectionable practices as far as the federationists were concerned, but evidence adduced (and yet to be called) would demonstrate that such statements were ridiculous. Had the insults of the federationists been continued much- longer the wives of workers could not have allowed their husbands to continue at -work, so much had they been affected by the .terrorism. That men should not havo been permitted, in a civilised country, tn rr o to work in the ordinary way, was hardly believable. It was quite certain that but for the polico protection afforded, the workers would havo been subjected to violence at the hands of those oppose*! to them. So marked was the opposition shown to tho workers that the authorities had been compelled to provide vehicles to convey men to and from work. Had they not done so. riot was inevitable. _ Such a state of things was almost incomprehensible when taken together with the statement Hint, the strike had. been "cleanly conducted." WANING FEDERATION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! Auckland, November 27. A restive feeling is gaining ground amongst the Waihi strikers who were ordered to com; to Auckland with their families by the officials cf the federation. There is every indication, indeed, that if the federation delays much longer in playing its mysterious-"trump card," of which eo much has been heard, and fio little has been seen, the men chiefly concerned may break out into active resentment. The federation officials and tho Strike Committee, who arc controlling the movements of the strikers now in Auckland, will neither give permits to the men to go to work nor to leave the city. Tin's . autocratic procedure is giving rise to j grave dissatisfaction, as several of the ] strikers have large families to keep and . homes lying negleoted at Waihi. These ~

' men naturally want to obtain employ- - meut, or at least to bo allowed to occupy -'. their own houses again. - i Married men, with families of four, are I receiving 375. 6d. per week in strike pay, ; and thoso with mora than four in the ; family aro receiving £2 per week. Shiglb .. ; men are drawing 17s. 6d. per week. It is stated to bo tho intention of tho i Strike Committee to pay out an all-roun-c .; increase on these amounts of 2s. 6d. per week after Monday next. That tho leaders of tho Federation cf Labour are losing their hold upon many j of the strikers is apparent. Several havo , returned to Waihi, in spite of tho virtual | prohibition which they aro under. Some of the strikers complain bitterly that : they are forced to stay in Auckland and remain idle. They are kept absolutely in j tho dark as to what tho federation officials intend to do. It is thought that j their idea is to declare Waihi a "scab" j district. Some of the men favour returning to Wnihi'first, and if any of them are ■■. ■ • victimised, then black-listing tho gold-....'• ; fields town. This couTse, however, does i not meet with the approval of tho feder- \ ;'■ ation leaders. . . ! So far as can be gathered from in." . - ■ < quirics made; the strikers are in no - j mood to tolerate much further delay in a, J settlement of matters affecting them.' ■'■1 There is talk of throwing off the Federa- -j tion at Christmas unless the leaders make ; good their promises' to lead them to I "glorious victor}-." The men appear to : '< still have faith in the federation as a .'"'.; body, but to have lost all patience with i the leaders. ■ ' j Tile acting-president of tho Miners* .-...'; Union (Mr. Kennedy) had himself ad- ! mitted under examination that tho '•.. ; . actions and conduct] of his followers were unlawful, and yet had countenanced the .■■•' continuance of the tactics, thus showing. ;■.:• that there was no intention to confonn ■ > to law and order. A certain time had ; come, and tho workers had turned. V , In conclusion he would appeal to the Court not to record convictions against -.'!; the names of defendants, whose actions j had been the outcome of the conduct of ... j the .strikers in giving vent to their pent- - up feelings. The workers had inflicted re~'" ■■■.' • \ markably. little injury upon thoso who ..' \ had goaded them to retaliation) They'had'''".' . not used "lethal . weapons—only the ■, ■; weapons with which Nature had provided . i them. That they should take some little .;■.■■ toll for the insult and abuse which they and theirs had for so long been subjected ' ; . was only to be expected. ■'.