MOB LAWLESSNESS AND VANDALISM.

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

MOB LAWLESSNESS AND VANDALISM.

BARRICADES TORN DOWN, WHARVES RUSHED AND " STEAMERS BOARDED. Although thero were no such scenes as wero witnessed on Friday, several acts of violence were committed by strikers on and about tho wharves on Saturday morning. At tho conclusion of the mass meeting streams of men poured 'out from tho waiting-room on Waterloo Quay, and several of them wended their way to the Square, whero tho Watersiders' Band was playing. The Square'was instinct with an atmosphero of suppressed excitement. It was felt that something might happen at any moment, and sure enough it did, and there was much trouble for a spaco. Police in fairly large numbers and- Harbour Board officials kept guard at tho main entrance to. the Queen's Wharf. Tho strikers evidently realised that to attempt to force an entrance at that particular point was useless.-, . Therefore, they turned their attention elsewhere. Cates Rushed. A less guarded spot was observed near the waiting-room, and this was rushed. ■ " The mob swept past tho two con-' stables who were stationed thero. They could do nothing to stop tho rusfi. was not very long before the news that the small coastal steamer Defender was working St tho Railway Wharf spread like wildfire, aud away rushed a large section fyf the crowd to her berth, headed by tho rowdy ones. * Defender Boarded. On reaching the Defender's side the strikers met ,with no resistance, and, climbing aboard, they found two of tho crew take in some timber from trucks alongside tho steamer. A couple of policemen • took a firm stand, and ordered tho strikers off the sliip, whilo a couple of hundred of tlio mob harangued tho men who were working the cargo, and told them to "knock oft." Meanwhile a. section of the crowd took charge of tho trucks, and pushed them up tho wharf away from tho steamer.

A strike picket, stationed in tho vicinity, did his best to persuade tho strikers to got away and not cause {rouble. Tho unruly ones were determined, however, and demanded that the seamen should 'knock off." . The position wjs becoming more serious every minute, and it looked as if violenco would bo used. The situation was relieved by thoso on board putting' on the batches, and tho Defender stoamed away from tho wharf, leaving ,her cargo behind. ' > Barricades Wrecked. Having whetted their appetites, tho strikers sought to mako more trouble, and they were not long in finding something to do .in that direction.' 'i'tio barricade,' which had been practically demolished by the infuriated ■'crowd that rushed the Itimutaka on Friday ovening,was being' repaired by about half a dozen men. 'i'liey endeavoured to make it"doubly secure tliis time by using heavy pieces of iron to batten tho timbers. ' To. this tho strikers now turned, and with a roar they attacked tho barricade. Soon a heavy piece of timber was torn off,, and using this as a .battering-ram, plank after plank was sent down with a crash. As each plank was smashed off the strikers sent up a cheer. Finally, only the framework was left standing. Soon was 'demolished,'' and, 'the w're'okago was thrown into the harbour. ■ Although a few policemen were on the scone they could do nothing to stop the Har.bour Board's property from being destroyed, it being plain to everybody that had tho constables attempted an arrest there would have been'very serious trouble. ' Queen's Wharf Invaded. When the work of destruction in that quarter was finished, the 'crowd joined their comrades in tho Square, and comparative, quietness, reigned for a time. Suddenly another rush was made—this time for tho main'entranco to tho Queen's Wharf. . , : Against this yelling mob the few policeman awl Harbour Board men on duty at the gates were powerless, and jjo attempt was made to Atop tho lawless rush. , Tlie mob swooped clown upon the Anchor • Line's Nikau, which had just arrived from Nelson. In her hold members of tlie crew were handling, perishable cargo, and' from tho deck of the steamer the strikers called upon tho men below to cease'work. 1 -

Very soon Mr. Munro, tho wharfinger came on the scene, and appealed for order. Ho asked one of tho strikers what all tho troublo was about. For a littlo time nothing could bo heard but the men yelling at tho>top of their voices. ' Parleying with t|ie Mob. Then one of the crowd was heard to say :— " • "Wo demand that no more cargo be handled." ' • ■ , "If these men stop work will you men leave tho wharves?" asked Mr. Munro. "Yos," came from a chorua of voices. < "Very well, cargo work will cease," he replied. Vi "On all vessels?" asked a striker. "Yes." In answer to an emphatic protest about the strikers • being kopt off the wharves Mr. Munro said: "If you are allowed on tho-wharves will you promise me that you will not damago any of tho Harbour Board's property? Tho crowd shouted its assent, and tho Nikau incident closed. Mob Makes a Tour. Leaving tho Anchor Line's steamer, the crqwd ma;lc their way towards the Union Company's steamer Monowai. The .officers.anticipated this move, and as tho front lino hove' in sight the gangway leading from tho wharf to tho ship was let down. ' A disappointed crowd found '.'nothing doing" there."." 1 Soon the' excitement ''subsided, and having, nothing else better to do a section of tho erow:l made off in the direction of Clyde Quay, whero tlio Arapawa was. lying.. :_Tno mounted constables gave chase with the intention of being on the snot < if trouble ensued. When the crowd saw what had "happened they tin ned suddenly and made for the opposite direction. 'Tlio next vessel to attract their attention was tho Union Company's collier Kaiapoi, berthed nt .Tervois Quay. The strikers just managed to reach tlio vessel ns the tug Terawhiti was removing a roal hulk from alongside. Evidently those in charge of the operations heard what was about to happen, and ceriFod working,' Onco again the strikers were foiled. Dorset's Vanished Butcher. Word was then received that a free labourer was workirg on the F. nnd S. Line's steamer Dorset, which was king alongside the Ta.-anaki Wharf. Owe more the crowd became excited. Tho gates nt Jorvois Puny end nntrunco Jijul beou. lockad. Airoarontly tho dis-

tanco was too far for somo of the strikers to go round tlio roadway, and t'hay commenced a wild scramble over the high iron gatos, whilst others crawled along tho Rowing Club's skids towards their objective —the free labourers and the Dorset. Mean whilo the captain of tho vessel had allowed six pickets aboard to search for free labourers. Whilo this part of the business was being carried out Captain Howell explained to the crowd that tho certain man whom they wore after had fled. Ho was a (.assengor—a butcher by trade—who had come out in the Dorset from Home. Tho captain explained that the man had gone to him in an intoxicated condition and asked for work. Ho was told to go away, but in spite of this he had taken up a truck and was not prevented from doing so. Whero the butcher had gono was unknown to tho captain. The pickets reported that no free labourers wero on beard, and once again tho strikers mado for tho Post Office Square. Muriatic Acid Tampered- With. During the hours of after 10 p.m. on Friday and daybreak on Saturday some person or persons interfered with a shipment of muriatic acid which had been stacked on the wharf at No, 1 south, with tho result that a large quantity of tho acid flowed out on. to tho wharves and quickly blackened everything with whicn it came in contact. This act of vandalism was discovered on Saturday morning, and tho shipment was quickly j remorod. There were several tins of naphtha lying close to the acid, and had a leak occurred ih a tin the combination of naphtha and muriatic acid would have caused a conflagration.