The Dominion SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1919. TERRORISM & VIOLENCE.
The waterside workers of 'Wellington who on Wednesday last broke their written agreement with thoir employers and went on strike added to their offending yesterday by breaking the law. Tlioy behaved in a wild and disorderly fashion: terrorised by weight of numbers and threatening conduct the small bodies of free workers engaged on vessels in port, and did not hesitate to resort to physical violence when opposed in their lawless attempts at intimidation. Their conduct in connection with the onslaught on the steamer Rimutaka was tnat of men who would stop at nothing. They rushed the steamer, knocked down- and maltreated the officers who attempted to bar their access to it, and over-ran the vessel, threatening and intimidating. More reokless and brutal behaviour it would be difficult to conceive. The Becond offioer of the vessel who stubbornly resisted the illegal trespass was made a special mark for the violence of tho strikers, and when ho succumbed to the weight of numbers and fell to the deck he was brutally kicked as ho lay there by some of the cowardly mob. In several other instances during tho day violence was used, and usually in a cowardly fashion; the many against the individual. Thero appeared to
|>g an element in the crowd deliberately_ at work inciting their fellows to mischief, and the result of their efforts waß probably the most lawless outbreak of mob violonco this city has witnessed since the great maritime strike of 20 odd years ago. Tho police and the harbour authorities wore to a certain extent at a disadvantage. Owing to the comparatively reasonable behaviour of the strikers tho previous day they apparently had come to the conclusion that, with a little humouring, matters would go fairly smoothly, and although they had taken, precautions they had not anticipated such extreme lawlessness by so largo a body of men. There was not a sufficiently large body of police to check the rushes which were generally mado at the weakest points, and when the mob once got through the barricades on to the wharf it was very difficult to handle them.
It was the duty of the Harbour Board, and of the police, to provide adequate protection for tho free worker's, and they failed in that duty. There may bo excuses for their failure yesterday, but after that experience there oan bo no excuse for failing to put dovpi any further attempts at mob rule. What is necessary is that the organised lawlessness of tho strikers should bo met by an organised defenco of tho law and of the public interest. It has been made abundantly clear that no more reliance can be plaoed on the waterside workers' regard for the law of the land and the rights of the public than can be placed in their honourable adherenco to written agreements. Tho public must rely on the law to protect them from mob rule, and it is for those who have the responsibility for the upholding of tho law to see that that protection is afforded. They will have behind them practically the whole community. There may be trades unionists who are trades unionists first and citizens afterwards. But whether they view the conduct of the waterside workers from the point of view of their trades unionist principles or of their obligations as citizens, they cannot fail to perceive that in either case they must denounce such behaviour. Mob violence never rendered labour any servico anywhere. Tho waterside workers probably thought they had soored a victory yesterday when they rushed the wharves and intimidated a few free workers by their threats and violence. Their leaders know better. Already that slight advantage has been lost to them. The shipowners have now laid up their vessels and the port is practically closed. How much better off are the strikers? They have gained nothing by their lawlessness out a brief spell of . idleness for the vessels and the dislocation of a certain portion of the business of the community; and to secure tills they havo outraged publio feeling by their lawless ana cowardly behaviour. Tho case is one in which the employers owe it to tho public not to recede one fraction from tho position they have taken up. Tho waterside workers foolishly and wantonly placed themselves in the wrong by breaking their agreement and going out on strike without tho slightest provocation; they have now placed themselves doubly in the wrong by attempting to bludgeon the employers and tho public into submission by resort to the brutal weapon of mob violenoo, .
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 4
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768The Dominion SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1919. TERRORISM & VIOLENCE. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 4
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