SPECIALS & STRIKERS CLASH.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1911, 20 November 1913, Page 9

SPECIALS & STRIKERS CLASH.

"-RJ THE BATONS USED. SPADES AND FORKS BRANDISHED. (By Telegraph.—Press Aasoolatlon.) Auoklarid, November 19. A clash took place between the strikers and a small body of specials in Hobson Street, near the Trades Hall, shortly after 5 o clock this evening. Stones wero thrown by the strikers, and sOmo of them brandished spades and forks, which they took from a neighbouring second-hand shop. The specials had in a few instances to use their batons to protect thomselves from tjlio aggressive tactics of somo of tho strikors. • The arrival of reinforcements of uniformed police and further specials effectually subdued the disturbance. From the facts obtainable, it appears that there has been much complaint about interference with traffic through the'strikers and. their friends blocking the pavement and'the road in front of. the Trades Hall, and in some instances interfering with carters who" were passing by with their teams. Mounted specials were therefore-instructed to keep tho road as clear bs possible, and to 6ce that everyone should be free from molestation. A small contingent of mounted specials were on duty in Hobson Street yesterday afternoon, and their presence appears to have been resented by .the militant section'of tho strikers, who orowded the street and pavement' in front of the Trades. Hall.' At tho tirno of the disturbance there must have been some 200 people blocking tho traffic. In pursuance of their duties, a squad of about' a dozen mounted specials gave orders to. tho crowd to move on, and succeeded in keeping them on the move until Cook Street was reached. All the time the strikers kept,up a running fire of abusive language, and boohed vigorously.. At the corner of Hobson and Cook, Street somo of the strikers began to throw- stones, and some of the specials narrowly escaped being hit. Some of the strikers became 30 menacing that tho specials drew their batons, and about three strikers were hit, but were not seriously hurt. The crowd then became . very ; angry,, and several'of them seized' spades and forks and other implements from a secondJmndshop at the corner of Cook and Hobson Streets, and brandished them in a'' threatening way. In the confusion a woman was knocked down, and.with difficulty; regained her feet. All this time a* woman from a window of the upper story of a shop shrilly encouraged the strikers to attack the specials, and her language was such that she will probably be summoned to appear before the Court. In the meantime a large contingent of mounted specials had arrived, together with several uniformed police, and their presence succeeded in putting a stop to what had all tho possibilities of a serious fracas.