MOB ASSAILS POLICE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1897, 4 November 1913, Page 8

MOB ASSAILS POLICE.

REVOLVER SHOTS FROM - THE ■ CROWD. TWO CIVILIANS SHOT. PERMANENT OFFICER WOUNDED. RAID ON A HOTEL '// /THE PEACE PROPOSALS. (CONFERENCE MEETS AND ADJOURNS. Waterside Workers, when they broke their agreement, were 1 being paid Is. sd. an hour ordinary time, 2s. 2d. an'.hpur overtime up to 10 p.m.; 25..3d. per hour overtime 10\p.m. to i) a.m. For special work special rates of pay were provided, coal carriers, the highest paid, receiving 2s. an hour ordinary time, 3s. an hour overtime. ■ Friday, October 17.—Shipwrights askod for increase in wages. Satur* day/ October JB.— Shipwrights, ceased work. Monday, October 20.—First mass meeting Waterside Workers' Union, , at which it was decided to call a "stop-work" meeting, to be held at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, October 22. . Wednesday, October / 22.—"Stop-work" - meeting of Waterside Workers' Union held on wharf. While men were attending meeting, which, being held in working hours, was a breach of agreement, other union men were put on to work in their places. Union desired that "stop-work" men be reinstated in their positions. Employers decided that men's action in knocking off work in breach of agreement terminated the agreement with the union, which had been entered into in 1912.-' Waterside Workers' Union hand control of strike over to the Federation of Labour. Waterside Workers' Union'strikes. ~ Thursday,, October 23.—Big mass meeting of strikers. Wharves - picketed. Union S.S.; Company pays crews off colliers. Free labourers ■' commence work. Negotiations between strike delegates and employers ; fail. Report of Intention of Waterside Workers' Union to register a second union under the Arbitration Act. Speeches in tho Post Office Square • , Friday, October 24.—Scenes of violence on the wharves. Conference of Federation of Labour delegates-proves abortive. Employers decide . to cease work as far as handling cargo is concerned. Fifty police guard the wharves. Warehouse clerks work cargo in small steamers. Saturday, October 25.—Further scones of violence on wharves, Bteamers Defender and Nikau rushed—crews intimidated. Police from country arrivo. Employers issue a statement to the effect that ( no watersiders will be employed until a fresh organisation be formed and registered under Arbitration Act. Watersiders decide to continue ' strike. Harbour Board pickets the wharves. " Sunday, October 28—.Mass meeting at 2.15 p.m. In . Post Office Squaro. Procession to Basin Reserve; ' Gate broken down by crowd. Inflammatory speeches by strike leaders. Monday, October 27.~-Labour Day and a .holiday. Observed by strikers as well as the public. No change in the situation. Tuesday,. October 28.—Conference .between employers, and employees. ' with Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister, as chairman; More police arrive. S.S. Nikau rushed. All steamers move to an anchorage ' in the stream. Racehorses allowed to leave for south. Wednesday, October 29.—Employers' proposals from previous evening's conference submitted to the watersiders, ar.d rejected. Raid made on flour and other provisions being sent to Day's Bay by Cobar. Goods subsequently allowed to be shipped. Further violont speeches by agitators in the Post Office Square.- Encounter at night between sus- ..." pected free labourers and strikers at Waterloo Quay. Auckland and Westport watersiders strike. •Thursday, October 30.—Strikers assault special constables, Waterloov Quay fence broken down arid horses liberated. Men of H.M.S. Psyche on parade. Psj-che's stores landed from Ulimaroa by bluejackets. Mounted constables parade streets and charge strikers in Post Office Square, Three hundred special constables sworn in. Onset on Messrs. ,/ Whitcombe and Tombs' shop.; constable severely wounded. Prime Minister, states the Government's position. Lyttolton watersiders strike. ' ; Saturday, November I.—Quiet day. Employers enlarge their strika committee. 'Large bodies of specials arrive from, the country. Skirmishes with strikers in town. Waliine's crew give notice to strike.. Oamaru watersiders join strike, : . Sunday, November 2.—Deputation from combined Labour bodies to Prime Minister with proposals for settlement; Mass meetings at Newtown Park and Opera House. Further conting'entsof special constables arrive. , Wahine laid up in stream, Strike pickets withdrawn from wharves. 1 Outlook for settlement more hopeful. ; Greymouth Union come out on • ' strike.i . Monday, Novembor 3.—Wahine's men come ashore. Wellington branch of Seamen's Union decide to strike if free labour is employed. /Negotiations between employers and'workers entered upon and adjourned till following day. Mapourika enters ferry service to replace Wahine, Government steaemrs held in readiness for mails. Serious riot in Taranaki Street, special oonstables being attacked by mob. Several persons injured—three seriously. Revolvers used! Mob Indulges in window-breaking and other damage.

Two developments, in. strong con- j jtrast to one another, arose out of the .| strike situation yesterday. On the one |'hand'a conference-was held with the I view to promoting a settlement, and, :on the other, there was a disgraceful .exhibition of mob violence,. The latter incident occurred at • Buckle Street in ;the evening, a nondescript crowd assail'ing the police camp and resorting to •revolver-shooting and stone-throwing. The conference sat for four hours in the evening, the employers having— after lengthy, deliberation during tho j-'day— decided to accede to the request of tho Federation of Labour that negotiations should he reopened. The Prime ' who presided, announced after [the conference rose that no settlement [ had yet been reached, that tho delegates would meet again at 2 p.m. tojday. There is reported t-o bo just a fjhanco of settlement.