HUMOURED SPLIT IN THE RANKS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1912, 21 November 1913, Page 8

HUMOURED SPLIT IN THE RANKS.

ABSENT-MINDED LEADER. , Wrangling among certain sections of tho.strikers is said to have been a fea™re_of jestorday Afternoon's .meeting at iho Skating liink, although cheers were given by a number of them'just before the meeting closed. The wrangling is understood to be the outcome of the tactics of a striko leader, wlio has ' a knack of exhorting the strikers more by words than by example. It is stated that at Tuesday's meeting at the I?ink this leader advised the strikers to molest the special constables whenever the latter were met with in small nunibers»and on foot-. The rioting in Cuba Street on that afternoon and evening .may Jiarerbeen the iresult ■ of such advice, but, as some of the strikers new point out, this particular leader never led on those occasions. Notwithstanding that liis conduct might have passed umioticed hut for subsequent 'hap-, pcuings on Wednesday and yesterday. -At Wednesday's meeting at tlie'Rink ho is said' to.have advised'the strikers to muster in strong fort? yesterday, and march in procesion to Post Office Square with the women and children. Yestorday the' strikers; as directed, mustered in good numbers fully expecting that their leader, adviser', and director would load the procession to the Square. Strange to say, he never appeared at 'tho meeting, and 'strong opinions were expressed as to his conduct. Some of the strikers left immeidiately, but others remained to wrangle. The idea of the procession was naturally enough abandoned, the strikers believing that what was not good enough for 0110 of the leaders was not good enough for the rank and file. " It was freely stated 1 last night that in consequence of tho attitude adopted by the leader .in question, a number of strikers will to-day go to the wharf in a body to seek membership in the .new union before it is too late. The-' poor attendance at the last few open-air meetings would seem to indicate .that'the great majority of the men are very tired of the striko.