LEADERS BEFORE THE COURT

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

LEADERS BEFORE THE COURT

DEFENCE N6T READY. CROWN PREPARED TO GO ON. REMANDS GRANTED. HOLLAND'S REMARKS FROM DOCK BARKFR NOW IN GAOL. After a week's remand without bail, William Thomas Young, Henry Holland, George Baile.v, Poter Fi'aser, and Robert Semplo appeared .again in the. Magistrate's Court yesterday, A largo crowd gathered at tho courthouse, and a guard of mounted spccial men was posted on the street outside. Mr. Riddell, was on the bench. Peter Ffaser's Case. The caso of Peter Fraser was called first. Tho charga against him is that on October29t.il, at Wellington, he did incito divcrg unknown persons to resist constables stationed in Wellington in tho execution of their duty. Ho is further charged with that on October 29, at Wellington, ho did incite persons to commit a breach of the peace by uttering tho following words: — "Our friend here says wo are not going to bo starved; but the papers to-day hare announced in tho most cold-blooded maimer possible that tho employers have settled _ down to a starving campaign. Now, in the older countries of the world tho.y play that game, only there tho workers starve -whether they are on strike or not., Sometihi.es they starve a little mora, sometimes a little less. At Dublin tho other day tlioy tried to starve thenjj but they have not done it yet. Aiul here, in • God's Own Country (God likes it. so much that Ho keeps it all to Himself and gives none of it to tho workers) they arc talking of it. In this country theri>. is any amount of grain, and sheep, and food, and tho workers produced every ouhco of it—(hear, heart—and if tho workers livo by the great law known to Nature—the law of selfpreservation, the law which must • have obedience and s transcends every law made by human society— if it compels the workers to get food, then the workers of Welling* . ton, and of New Zealand, are going to get food, and if a few doors iiavo . to be-burst, like tho Basin Reserve ga;te, all the worse for tie doors." Defenco Unable to Go Oil. Mr. .J. F. W. Dickson said that he understood that it Was the intention of Mr. P. J. O'Regan, accused's counsel, to ask for a remand of this and tho other cases. Mr. H. H. Ostler, Crown Solicitor, replied that, up till' Tuesday, the arrangement which he had iiad with Mr, O'Regan was that this cases should be proceeded with at once. In consequence of this understanding lie (Mr. Ostler) had undertaken important public duty in tho country, and would be out of Wellington till Friday week. Mr. Dickson:'l will just have to leave it to the Court.' The Magistrate: I was prepared to hear tho cases to-day. There, is nothing to be gained by keeping tliom hanging over. Mr. Ostler: I am ready this moment, and I will be ready on Friday week, The Magistrate: I hope that there will be no further adjournment. , , A, .remand, till Friday, November 28, ■was,made.' As previously, ba.il was refused. Semplo In the Dock. Robert Semple also was remanded till November 28. ■ Semplo is charged with that on November 1, at Wellington, he did incite divers, unknown persons to resist constables stationed in Wellington in the execution of their duty, A complaint that ho should find sureties of the peace of His Majesty tho Kling and all his liege subjects is also laid against him, for that at Wellington on November 1 he did; incite persons to commit a breach of the peace by uttering the following words: — "Since I have arrived in Wellington I have received a wire to say that Superintendent Mitchell has been withdrawn from the charge at Auckland. Cullen and Herdman are responsible for this. Oullen is sheltering in an office, and will Sot be seen leading the men. I hope that there will be no shooting, hut if any is done, and Cullen will coiho out, I undertake to shaot him first." Such words (the charge added.) are Calculated to produce and provoke a breach of the peace. Bail was refused. "You Can Drop a Few Matches," George Bailey was next called. Tho charge against him was that on October 29, at Wellington, ho did incite persons to commit a broach of the peace at Wellington by uttering the following words:— "I have read that the grooms who are attending tho h&rses of the mounted constables who are distributed at different, parts of tho city are being paid at the rate of 10s. a day. Any persons who know the grooms bliould try to induce them to cease work. You could drop a few matches or indulge lit a little sabotage which is tho latest method of' industrial waif are." Bailey, too, stands remanded till November 28. No bail was granted. The Federation President. William Thomas Young was also remanded till November 28, The first of tho charges against him is that on Sunday, October 26, 1913, at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, in tho presence of a large crowd of Wellington waterside workers then on strike and others, ill making a public speech to the orbwd, he did utter certain seditious- words, to wit: "I want to say that special constables aro being called for j a number of them were marched to the Newtown dopot last night. I want to say this, that if the police' force of this country are going to bo utilised I —l know the in*dividual police doii't want to be used for the purpose—but if the authorities of tho. country aro going to use them to suppress the working class, I will undeitakoy wo will undertake—to maßs in this city of Wellington o-r 1/5,000 armed men ready to protect themselves as armed nici.t. If a police constable uses liis baton to you give him one back, ynd if one won't do make it a double-header. If wo have got to light the police force and the military, it. lias got- to be done iu stylo and effectually, it is'a very easy matter indeed. T}ier« are ten or fifteen thousand men in support, of you', and to protpct you against the baton of the police authorities. If the employers siro not prepared to act in a conciliatory spirit, and if they put on 'scabs' to work cargo, thero will not be a wharf for 'scabs' to work on. Don't you ho afraid of them. If I hnve got to incite th© multitude I will incite them, and in a proper manner.'' Further charges against, the accused in connection with tli« us>e of the same word#, or part of thorn, cm ih? s-nme occasion were;—(l) That- ho melted jjei> .

sons ti.i commit it breach of tho peace; (~) Hint li:> wilfully incited divers unknown peranss to resist constables stalioned. tn Wellington in the cscnltion «!' ilimr duly. Scilitlcrn Alleged Against Holland, Henry Holland, the charges whom art» ns follmv, was the only of the party to attempt a speech from the dock;—On October 2li, at Wellington, he did wilfully incite divot's persons io resist constables stationed 'at Wellington in tins execution of tlvoir duty. On October 20 did incite persons to commit h lm-ncli of the pear* by uttering the following words :— If they (moaning the police) hit' ■ you with a baton, bit them with n piek-hamiio and have the pick at the end of it. On Sunday, October 20, at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, iu the presenwiof a liU'go crowd o'f Wellington waterside workers tlicn on strike and others', in making a public speech, did titter certain seditious words, to wit;— "Tho waterside agreement was broken wiien the men wero obliged to take a day of!; when Mr. Liverpool—Lord Liverpool—'tlio gilded popinjay, the figure-head of canitallsm i-it New Zealand landed hero; and tiro same thing occurred when Sir Joseph Ward's Dreadnought called. _ 1 Remind thorn {meaning the police) of words iisod by mo at Broken Hill in Australia oft the occasion when L was sentenced to two years' imprisonment on a charge of sedition.. I told the miners: 'if they hit'you with a baton, hit them .with a. pick-handle, and- haro tlio pick at tho end of it-. ! Hero is yottr opportunity, you John Hops (meaning tlio police), though the ~ employers want to' give you a tii.iserafjle eight bob a day, and the soul and clothes of a slave, and want you to scab on Labour," At Wellington (Newtown Park), on November 2, in tlr© presence of a kfgo crowd of waterside workers then on strike and others, in making a public spe<s>l,i to tlio crowd, did titter certain seditious words, to wit: — "Wellington lists seen what is unique in Australasia. You have a Gatling gun o.u tho wharf. to-day, and tiiero is one. on 7 the turret ot the Post Office, they toll us. VI)on Jlassey's Cossacks come down upon us—l was going to say 'men,' but I don't want to bo guilty of libeh Tlio 200 ft men offering in tho Waikato are ' heroes, because they will come tnlly arme-i, provided jMr. Massev gives them full protection. ' If f.reo labourers are put on, , they_ will _ worls with a revolver in. their belts and a bludgeon • alongside them, and anyone who attempts to interfere with, them ■can be shot by them. I urge tho navals present (meaning tlio. sailors from His Majesty's ship Psychs thftt is lying in the port of Wellington' aforesaid), when they are ordered to shoot to remember where their class interests lie, and to point their guns accordingly. The r'ailsvayjtfo'i should not s <mrry frco labourers. Let the trains rot and rust. Tho strike was not made by tlio working class, but by tho. master class, who art pouring their armed hundreds into Wellington, not in the daylight, but like thieves in tlio night, coming utterly ashamed of the work thoy are undertaking. Thoy sneak in in themidnight hours, but old grey-haired women come out on the balconies and jeer at tllem as they pass. Tlio railwaymen have said tnej are prepared to . stop tho trains; tho drivers can stop- the carts and the seamen the ships. Uniformed police can deal a staggering blow by tearing'off their uniforms, and standing \yit.i . tvatarsiders, We are. going _ to ,#jijp,,)!,^d','., .by;. . . God, Wo are going to; do i it' "no matter what means Wo are going to W," ' Holland's Spcooh from Dook. ' Holland, who is iiot represented by counsel, said: I am in much the same position as I was in on the last day on which wo appeared before tho Court. I have no objection to a remand if a Teniand is being asked for by tlio pro-' Sedition. Mr. Ostler: That is .riot- so, Holland,: 1 beg your pardon. lam not ready with irty defence, as I have had no opportunity of organising it. 1 Would ask for a reMaad and for bail at the same time. If bail is to ensure appearance here it seems absurd. There can bo no fear that I will not appear. The position I hold in tho Working-class movement in Now Zealand' is one of the highest and most honourable-—-The Magistrate: Yes. You will be remanded till November 28. Bail will bo as before. On the indictable charge you will ha granted bail in the suin of £250. On tlio summary charges bail is refused. Holland: In, that case, Your Worship) bail is no use to mo. I-— The Magistrate: Call the next case. Holland: I wish to make a further application, Your Worship. I—— The Magistrate: Take tho defendant away. Holland: It simply means that I com get no assistanco in organising, my defence. The— _ _ - The Magistrate: -The polico will give you all tlio assistance tha ; t is necessary. Holland seemed; inclined Still to linger in the dock, and speak from it. Polico, however, gently escorted .him to the ante room. T« Barker, I.W.W. Thomas Barker, who was arrested in Auckland and remanded' Oil bail to Wellington, was then brought in. In Auckland he appeared only* oii an indictable cliargßj and he Was bailable as a right. Hero a summary count was also charged against him, and on this, bail is at tho discretion of the Magistrate. The first charge against Barker was that ho used tho following words at Wellington on October 29, in tho presence of a largo number ,of waterside workers !-»• "You should husband your resources and cope in such a way with the situation' as to make Wellington a second Johannesburg. You do not know tho moment when such a situation may arise. The. strike will probably affect not Wellington only, but tho whole of the Dominion. The employers of Now Zealand are not moro civilised than those of other countries; whilst they own the workers' bread thoy deny the workers' rigftt to work for it. When trouble arises they will not hesitate to givo thorn a feed of lead. Every economic- question, is settled bv force. It is a question, which side can exercise the most | force." | To this was added an application for sureties of tjie peace oil tho ground ' that Barker had spoken seditiously. Barker, also, was remanded till November. 28. Bail was allowed on the first charge and refused on tho seoqnd. _ ■ Mi'. Dickson: I don't kftow whether it is necessary for ine to point out that bail was granted in the same circumstances by the Magistrate in Auckland, Tlife Magistrate: 1 hare given tny de* vision, Mr. Dickson.