FLOUTING THE CITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1890, 27 October 1913, Page 4

FLOUTING THE CITY.

SUNDAY VANDALISM, GATE TORN DOWN. MOB COMMANDEERS THE BASIN RESERVE. After a quiet morning, during which tho usual Sunday atmosphero prevailed, tho Post Office Square was tho rendezvous of anothor largo crowd, which assembled soon aftor lunch, and at 2.30 p.m. the Waterside Workers' Band struck up, and the union banner was unfurled. Sovoral speakers addressed tho crowd, cacli commenting on the Mayor's refusal to allow thorn tno tiso of tho Basin Reecrve, and eventually ono of tho speakers announced that a move would bo made to the Opera House. After the mooting in.tho Post Office Square,' the strikers formed themselves into a procession, and, headed by the union's banner and band, proceeded up Customhouse. Quay, Willis and Manuel's Streets, to the Opera House, tho'crowd, both in tho procession and its following, increasing in numbers until, when opposite tho Opera House, it nmst have numbered over 5000 people. Arrived opposite the Opera. House, where it had been) announced that a meeting was to bo held, the cry was raised: "To tho Basin Reserve I On to the Basin!"

After a short wait the leaders decided' that, «s tho Opera House could not accommodate a third of the number present, they would procecd on to the Basin Reserve, permission to use which f round had been refused on Saturday y tho Mayor (Mr. J, P. Luke). Tho band struck up a lively inarch, and tho crowd, swelling in numbers all tlio time, surged along Oourtenay Place and Cambridge Terrace. Thousands preceded the procession, and entered tho grounds quietly by tho small gate that flanks tho big doublo gates. There half, a doaen constables wero stationed. As toon, however, {is tho head of tho procession reached tho gate and tho strikers saw that tho big gates wore closed, they demanded that it he opened, but as it was locked that could not be dono. "Down With the' Cats!" , ; "Don't wait," yelled a hoarse voice; "down with tho gate I" Tho cry was taken up by a dozen other voices, and a.rash, was niado at tho gato. . The police warned tho strikers to desist, but, outnumbered by a horde, they wero swept aside, and tho lawless mob broke through, forcing tho gate, tho top half .(including tho sido-posts) being broken off. This act of vandalism was greeted with cheers, and. the crowd surged through into the Reserve.'

In tho mcnntimo the band, to protect its instruments, Lad proceeded up Buckle Street to the westerly gate, ana, oil entcrins; tlie ground, took up their stand in tlio hand rotunda, whilst the' crowd,' some 6000 or 7000 strong, gathered round. After "The Marseillaise" had been played, Mr. F., Curtice (president of the "Waterside Workers' Union) camo forward to the rail of the ' rotunda, and announced that it had been their intention to hold the meeting at the Opera House, but owing to tlio great crowd they would understand that it was impossible to hold the meeting there.

Their object, he oxplained, was to givo a true arid faithful account of the position they stood iii to-day.- There had been many reports in the Press which had bei'ii true, but there wero many which bad not been true. That was the reason the public of Wellington had bceii invited to bear tho true facts of the ease. If tlio Press could misconstrue tlie words of the chairman of the Harbour Board • they could misconstrue what they wero doing. It (the Press) had stated_that Mr, Flotchar had asked for tho assistance of tho Permanent Artillery. That was an absolute lie. 'Tlie strike had now gone on since last Tuesday. ■ Ho would have liked, he said, to have spoken about it, but was not feeling too well. Other speakers would tell them all about it. No questions would bo answered and no resolutions would be taken. After they had'hoard what was said he Would lenvo tliein to judge. . , 1 According to Mr. Farfand. Mr. G. G._ Farland of tho Waterside Workers' Uuion) said lie would like to say at tho outset that tlio meeting was intended to liavo been held ?«• OP'- ra Houso, but tho citizens of \\ ellington had concluded to como to the Basin Reserve, and they had come there. The action was none of their (tho union's) seeking, but, ho added, the bandsmen thought their instruments would have been damaged in tho crush at tho Opera House, so they had como on hero against tho permission of Mr: Luke. The speaker then reviewed the' ctuise of the strike from tlie timo tlio Shipwrights' Union preferred claims for tlio betterment of wages and conditions. Tlio employees, lie. said, had decided to tear up the agreement—dhnt is what they did. He said that no clause in an agreement was of iron. If it was it would lmvo been done away with long ngo, and, anyhow, tho emplovors had broken it. hundreds of times. 'Wad tb.ev (tlio watorsiders) ■ torn it up?" No, Tho employers liad thrown .down the gauntlet, saying: "If there's going to be' trouble, for God's sako> let's have iti" A voice: "Who said it?" Mr. Farland: "Mr. Kennedy." Continuing, ho said they didn't want any trouble, but unless tho agreement was handed back they, would 'not go back to work. (Cheers). Tlie trouble had been forced upon tliein by the employers when they said: "For God's sake let us havo it!" Woll, tliey wore coiiic to get it. (Cheers.) And Mr. Bruce. Mr. Brueo (assistant secretary of the .union) said that though there wero only 35 shipwrights, there wore 1500 watevsiders behind them, Mr. Kennedy liad said that tho shipwrights wc-ro going to lose caato by joining tho Waterside Workers' Union, saying that tho ship, wrights were a body of men .they, (tlio employers) had a great respect for. Ho had 110 respect for tho watorsiders—the men who had helped" tho Union Company to increase its fleet, and who don't even own their own houses. They (tho Union Company) objected to them. They mustn't do it! Now they had to form a now union under tho Arbitration Act. That's where he'd have them. Sneer at Freemen, Mr. Glover (chairman of tho Strike Committee), after, endorsing what Mr. Farland had said, stated that somo of the scabs, thero wero only ono or two, had been sorted out by t'ho pickets. Ho understood that they had had somo difficulty'in getting tlioir money. I-Ie was not sorry for tlioin, as they did not deserve any. The speaker made an appeal to tho women to ho loyal, and quoted tho c;iso of ono woman who had sent a note to t'ho coiumiUeo asking that hor husband (who had "scabbed") bo forgiven for having worked. Inflammatory Speeches. , Mr. T. Young, secretary of tho Seamen's Union, said that before going into tho dispute he would like to assure those present that they were the owners of tho Basin Reserve. Tho Mayor had- refused them tho reserve for tlio purposes of the meeting, and Jie was glad to seo that they had asserted their rights. He relati'd how that after the men had "downed tools" All', lliekov and himself had waited on the employers and told them that they had got the union to agree to go back it the agreement wero retained, arid tliey had been informed that tlmy (tho employers) could not allow tlio itoen to return to work under the present agreement, II" lio'd that tlio bronoil mado tv\ii V- 1 " ■]uovuii>viut, Now

the employers demanded tliat tho men should return to work without any conditions other than wages, and hero ho quoted tho resolution of tho employers nominating tho terms on. which tho men could return to work. It was hotter that they should go to Karori in a six-by-two than submit to that. In the courso of the discussion with tlio employers, tho latter had stated that tlioro would only ho ono or two points ou which the proposed agreement would differ from tho old one, but when they got down to bed-rock it was found that it only applied to wages, and iio mention was made of hours of work, overtime, or holidays. Hb would not mako himself party to such an agreement. Ho belioved in being reasonable, but would not submit to that.

Ho had had a good deal of responsibility during tho past sis weeks. "Tho Press would tell you," ho went on, "that tho Federation of Labour exists to create strikos.. During tho last live weeks it had been doing nothing but settling them, 'and it js going to settle this one!" If by setting tho country ou ft.ro they could' settle it—then it was going to be settled. Ho was not playing a.garno of bluff. During the past two or. xhroo days they had- had messages from all parts of .Now Zealand asking what they were to do in support of these men. (the .Wellington watersidors)., They (tho federation officials) had been at' their wits' end to settle tho matter and keep the men in their jobs. Tuesday would tell the tale! Inciting to Fight. - Referring to th.o "police, -ho said he had no grudge against .them, but ho liad become aware that special constables were being, enrolled, and ho related an instance which occurred on Saturday night at Newtown, when, as the result of hearing a chance remark, ho followed 6t>®o men who .were enrolled as special constables. Ho said Calmly that if those police were utilised, and if tho authorities employed tho Permanent Artillery in support of the employers, lie would undertake to march on Wellington with 10,000 or 15,000 armed men! . (Applause.). , _ "If a police constable uses his baton, give it him back—'and make it a doubleheador!" urged Mrl Young. "If 'you're going down, go down in style. You will very easily have fjom lOiOOO to 15,000 men to support,you.against tlio batons of the police* Ifj.tho employees would act in a conciliatory spirit it would lxs all right,'but if they put on 'scabs' to load and discharge cargo into Bhips thoro would not So any ships to leavo, port, and not a wharf for, tho 'scab' to work on;. (Desultory applause.) If there is reason to incito tho crowd, I'll incite-them," declared the speaker. "For the last four or five months the Federation of Labour has boen awaro that the employers are endeavouring to foment a general strike. Thai \?as perfectly clear at Blackball, at Dennistoil, also at Huntly, and now hero I" Messrs. flukey, Holland, Scott, Bennett, and Professor Mills also spoke in an inflammatory strain. Some of the remarks of certain of the speakers cannot, .in tho interests of decency, bo published. ■