GENERAL STRIKE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1901, 8 November 1913, Page 7

GENERAL STRIKE NOTES.

MR E. TREGEAR. 1 HIS DECORATION AND HIS UTTERANCES. 11l tli(! House o{ llepresentatives yesterday, Mr. K. J. H. Okoy (Taraniild) gave notice to ask tho Government: (1) Whether their attention lias been drawn to a statement made by Mr, K. 'fregcar at thft women's Ineeting held on Wed* nesday, November 5, referring to tile farmers and their sons who have come to this town for vho purpose of assisting in 'tho shipment of their produce, as "tho "Outcast scum of tho country, brought down to bludgeon citizens into submission to tho Government" P (2) Whether this is Mr. E. Tregear, J.r., on whom tho Imperial Servico Order has been conferred; and, if so, will the Government tako tho necessary steps to bring his action before the representative) of His Majesty ill the Dominion f Telegram by Ben Tlliett. Tho Strike Cemmifctoo last night received a telegram from Ben TiUctt, labour agitator, 'who is now in England, that "not an ounce of the Athenic's cargo will bo handled by tho London dockers when. this vessel reaches jier Homo port," Warder Assaulted, On Monday night last, when a prison warder in uniform Was going liomo, he was hit over tho eyo l).y a largo piece of road metal. Ho was knocked over, and his wound is a severe 0318. Other Strike Note?.

A mass meeting of farmers was held at Masterton on Thursday to consider tho situation that lias arisen in regard to the strike. The A. and P. roomß wore crowded, and Mr, Hugh Morrison (president of the Farmers' "Union) occupied the ehair. After several addresses, had been given, it was unanimously de* cided that the meeting pledge itself to assist in maintaining law and order, and to assist in loading tho farmers' produce on tho steamers, A largo body of farmers and their sons are in readiness to proceed to Wellington to work tho Homo steamers as soon as their services may bo required. 1 All the Hikurangi miners pro but at tho instance of the federation of labour. A Chastened Spirit. Everywhere comment is to bo heard on the change thai, has como over the city since the special constables havo beeii massed in force. Yesterday morning,'for instance, three mounted specials were seen out making some, purchases in tho shops at the north end of Lambton Quay. They dismounted, and leav i ing one man in cllargfi of tho horses the ether two yisitod various shops. The special with tho horses was standing for 1 stmo time near a group of about a

dozen men, apparently strikers and their sympathisers, Irot not so much .as a "baa" was heard, Tlireo days ago an isolated party of special constables in similar circumstances wan Id have been id peril of a very nasty encounter. injured Men Recovering. Sergeant-.Major Thompson, who was struck on the head by a missilp thrown during Monday night's disturbance in Taranaki Street, was able to leave tho Hospital yesterday. t Dockerv and Duncan.» who wero injured; c.n tho same occasion, are both doing veil. Railway Coal supply Cooil.

A report that tlio supply of coal for the railways was running out was officially denied when inquiries wero rtiado at tlio Railways Department yesterday. There is no lack of. coal, and the stock in haiid 3 it- was stated, is sutlicient to meet all possible requirements for four months. Workers Sloep on Mararoa. Tho A.rhitrationist-s who worked the vessels yesterday wore accommodated for tho night on board tho U.S.S. Company's Mararoa. The vessel was brought in from hor anchorage in Kaiwarra Bight to the man-o'-war .buoy, off-King's Wharf, where sho will he, probably for somo days. Tho Mararoa was towed round by tho Natono and tho Terawliiti, which subsequently took the workers off to her. Government Buildings Guarded. Thero is now only one entrance to the Government Buildings available to tho public, it having bee.ii deenjed advisable to close tho grounds to fll.l saivo those having actual business in "the largest wooden building in tho world," The or.o entrance —tho central iron gate--is

guarded 'by an officer, who questions! ovo'ryoite as to tiiqir business. Anyone mining business with a specific depart-. moat is ollowcd to enter, but the casual; visitor with no objective in particular j is debarred from entering the grounds, j A squad of local "specials" (Civil Ser-1 vice clerks) wore exercised in simple forms of drill in tho grounds yesterday morning. Comrades In Arms. . An interesting feature of yesterday's, strike proceedings vyas the vocal amity which was manifested between tho country and City "specials." On tho stroke of 6 p.m., the various squads of local "specials," arrived with batons, swung into columns of four, and marched from Waterloo Quay up Feathewton Street,squad after s.qUad breaking away to form ft harrier athwart each of the cross streots leading to.tho waterfront, the movement being designed to prevent any largo gatherings of the public along the lino of march in Custom llouso Quay. As tho sqodron of mounter "specials" passed each street, cheers woro volleyed by .the local men, and just as heartily' reciprocated by tho mounted men. Telephones Wanted. Owing to. tho foresight of Major O'Sttllivan, head of the Stores Department, a post office and telephono bureau has been established at tho Buckle Street Drill-hall. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. _ daily, _ The post office counter is a window-sill., and anyone wishing to transact postal business has merely to stand on the footpath on the northern side of tho street, and hand his communication through the aperture Bade by a removed window* to the clerk within. A rack has beeti erected on : the outer wail, in wlvieh nil letters for

men in barracks aro placed as soon as t,ho mails arrive. Respecting tho telegraph office, ills arrangement is not so adequate. There is tho telephone— but, ui> till yesterday, any special man wlio wished to tiso lis had* to pay 6d. Honourable Members Blocked. About half-a-dozen members of Parliament visited tho wharf yesterday morning to witness tho work (if the Arbitration isti on 'the Railway Wharf, limy were astonished to find that when thoy approached tlio scene of operations they wore stop-nod by. the officers of the special foot police. They had failed to provide themselves with the necessary wharf pass, without which it was impossible to pass these vigilant sentinels. They fount! that the pendant which

give's them free passage (in the railways, and which enables any budding Sherlock Ueir.KM io identify a member of Parliament on tine street, eftrriwl «n moaning to the wliarf guard. They looised "anything hut pleased, as other people wero passed through on present" iujr n card signed by the secretary «f the Harbour Board, Riot Ammunition Removed. It has benn a matter of sojtte remark during tlio last few days that tho heaps of stones left round tho Railway Wharf and otlvfr wharves at the Thorndwi end by tho Harbour Ilea id and .City Corporation have furtiished a supply « amoputiitioH for those dosiroUfi of attaokba tho ojiem&l toowafced pcJlee.

Yesterday both bodies took to prevent tho uso. of theso stones by rioters. Tho Harbour Hoard collected several heaps of stones on the Glasgow Wharf, ana labourers wero engaged to drop tiiem through a trap on tlio wharf into tlio water. "They're safo irotf," said one of tlio workers, as lvo tvielflcd a liefty shovel. "If thoso follows want them they'll have to gG down forty feet for them." Tlio corporation's heaps wo.ro liberally coated with tor, so that anyono who handles them will bear tlio marks of his act clearly on his hands. Clioors (of the Specials. A week ago, when there wero enly driblets « country special men in town, the strikers and their sympathisers wore to l)o seen everywhere ''booking" whenever any of tlvo law and <;r<lrr men Showed in sight. Thito brings its changes. To-day, with a thousand, moil in barracks, the striker and his friends preserved, oil tlio wholo, a discreet silence, when tlio special lfien go, unci wlioro formerly there were 'boos'"' and "yahs," good British cheers go lip fiom tlio crowds for tho nrc-n who havo como to town to flresmG tho King's peaco and unlock the port. That was tho dominant noto yesterday -evening, as the men who had bee.ll guarding tho streets proceeded along _ tho waterfront and through tho City (To Aro) to their makeshift homo at Buckle Street. Amazons from Australia.

Tho crowd who gathered outside the Custom Hohso last evening to Witness ■ tlio assembling of tho *peckd.' police: preparatory to their march to tlio bai - - racks, wero greatly amused by tho remarks of all old woman who was ah-: vkmsly n strong sympathiser with tho cause of tho strikers. Sho led a very small child up to tho riinks of the City Special foot police, and said; "Look at tlieso men. Don't go wear them, or you'll get sores on you," A. prominent momber of tho legal profession who was standing in fts ranks mildly remonstrated with her for her language, saying that lio would be. very sorry to utter such words himself, and that tliev sounded particularly out of maco Sit the month of a woman. . "That s all right," sho said. " That's all you are. You and your big sticks. Yon can only hit women and children like tins-, if l lind thirty worn-mi from Australia wo could fight- all your mob. Put down your Sticks and .fight- liko men. tlio tirade was greeted by. tho crottd with hearty laughter, and tlie woman niQ-vecl off Tramway Sootlon Closed. • Owing to tho difficulty in keeping the Post Oifice-r.ambten Station section of tram-rails free of stones, tho Tramway Board lias decided to closo that section . for traflio until tho present- troublo has subsided.