DISGRACEFUL SCENE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 25 October 1913, Page 6

DISGRACEFUL SCENE.

THE SWOOP'OJT 6.9. RMUTAEA.

■ Matters took a very, serious turn at ■tEe King's Wharf iato yesterday aftor■Boori. The Harbour Board officials had ibarrioaded parts of this wharf, Tho Mass of barrier put up by tho board's Carpenters Was a wooden structure, between eight and nine feet high, at the |end of "J" shod. It was constructed of [heavy timber. About 4.30 p.m., when Itho men had nearly finished work, they Waw tho strikers smashing in the barricade. It was swiftly demolished and tho timber thrown into tho harbour. Barriers Demolished. '• It, seems that whilst the strikers had Jboen assembled! before the closed gates 'at the 1 Queen's Wharf they received 'word that tho barricade was in course 'of construction, and about three hundred of themVworked their way down Customhouse Quay, and gained entrance | to the wharf. With cries of: "Are we 'downhearted?" "No!" they then charg(cd the barricado. There was, as it [(happened, no one there to oppose them. 'The strikers wrenched .at :the timbers I with crios of: "Down with it boys." and jldown it camo. "It's good fun and .it's »heap," said one'as' he rushed at'thß!' 'fence and wrenched off a board. "Into ' the water with it I"-they cried, and into tho water went board after board. Tho announcement that the police were coming, worked like magic. The ever-in-creasing crowd rushed in the direction of tho King's' Wharf, their objective, •apparently, being tho free labourers en- . gaged on the Rimutaka. Ship Rushed by 1600 Mon. By tho, , time that the crowd- had 'leached 'the head of the King's ("Wharf .it must have numbered close on 1500 men, and moving swiftly, their vanguard were on to the ship's gangway,':" The.ro were only two or three police,- and the officers of tho ship .to • stop>.them-, : and tho -leading men fought' .tlicir way on board tho liner. Blows'were struck and returned. Men wero knocked over; and a ! disgraceful scene was witnessed. It I was. practically a free fight. The ' 'second officer of the Rimutaka received (several blows on tho face, and, badly ;out and bleeding, ho fell on tho deck. ,He was immediately • kicked and .punched- as he lay. Some of the permanent hands came to his assistance, and the mob was temporarily driven 'off. . Pandemonium?

For a few moments pandemonium deigned, and the foreman stevedore for the New Zealand Shipping Company was roughly handled. • Meantime as many men from tho crowd 'as could gain a foothold gathered on the staging round one of the oranes on tho wharf, and jelled themselves .hoarso. Seeing that it was useless to try to prevent them getting on board, tne officers of the Bhip endeavoured tip push the gangway ashore. The attempt failed, and the crowd on the crano hurled the gangway off the staging, and dumped it between the wharf and tho ship, Moro Polloe Arrive. By this time "more police had put in an appearance, and things began to quieten a little; The pickets had got to. work, and, after being told that six of their number could Bearch the ship from stem to stern, tho more unruly members of the crowd were prevailed upon to go ashore. • During the search, strikers on the 'ship endeavoured to " address the crowd -on tho wharf. The officers on the ship endeavoured to prevent this, and 'were partly successful. One officer . threatened to turn the hose on the J men if they did not leave the ship, but did not have much effeot, and. the ihoao was not ,used. l Subsequently, the 'searchers returned, and announced to the crowd that .. there wero no free (labourers on board, and after cheerß ' and hoots had been given the crowd dispersed.