HISTORIC OCCASION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1936, 19 December 1913, Page 8

HISTORIC OCCASION.

SPECIALS PUBLICLY THANKED.

GREAT GATHERINC. 'PRIME MINISTER & MR HERDMAN'S TRIBUTES. . i CHEERS & FAREWELLS Acknowledgment of good work faithfully performed was made by tho Prime Minister (liou. \Y. Massey), tho Minister of Justice (Hon. A. L. Herdman), His Worship tlio Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), and other representative citizens at a notable gathering held in the Garrison Hall, litickle Street, last evening. The occasion, which practically marks tho termination of the strike, was a fine compliment to the mounted and foot special constables, tho permanent police, and to all who had assisted to maintain the King's peace during the troublous times that aro now happily behind us. There must liavo been fully two thousand people present, including tho body of mounted men still in camp, several hundred local foot specials, and a squad of Permanent Artillerymen, as well as a largo number of ladies who have been closely associated with the commissariat department, and the work of the St. John Ambulance. In the somewhat dim, uncertain light, beneath streamers of gaily-col-oured bunting, the sight presented was almost as unique as tho events which led up to it. Tim Ministerial party were escorted to a uais at the northern end of tho Drill I-lall, and with tho ladies seated in front, and tho mounted men and foot police massed in order behind,,the scene was both striking and historic. HON. A. L. HERDMAN. CALL, & THE COUNTRY'S ANSWER, The Hon. A. L. Herdman, Minister of Justice, who on rising was greeted with cheers, stated that, although it might bo said that tjie striko was not over, tho Government had come to the conclusion that the time had arrived when in a suitable and' public way tho officers and fiien of the permanent and special police, , who - had rendered such signal service to the country during the recent industrial trouble, should bo thanked. He did not think that anyone yet realised the-true'effect of what had taken place in New Zealand during the past six or eight weeks. Never in the history of the country had there been such serious trouble as had confronted them during tho first tlireo weeks of tho strike, and had it not been for the splendid patriotism of the special men from tho country and the city ho did not know what would havo happened. (Applause.) Why the Specials Came. Ho wished first of all to pay a spccial tribute to tho permanent police. It had been said that, at tho beginning of the trouble, the Government had not made sufficient, use of the permanent men, and that, had they made use of them, the trouble would have been speedily settled, but at the very beginning of tho trouble there were only 80 police in the City. Those who remembered what took placc on the llirautnka, when tho wharves were taken possession of by rioters, would I;Jiow how perfectly impossible it would Uilavc'boen to keep the'poneo'With''such ; ' an inadequate force';' and carry on the. business of tho i port without loss of life. Tho splendid response of the specials from country and town- was olio of the finest, instances of public patriotism that .tho country had ever witnessed. (Applause.) Ho wished it to bo clearly understood that, in all parts of New Zealand —in DunedinJ Christehurch, Auckland, as well as Wellington—the real light had taken place between thoso prepared to observe law and order and those who ' wished to break tho law; between thoso who wished to observe order and thoso who wished to see disorder; between thoso who desired peace and thoso who desired anarchy.

Everyone's Right to Work. Speaking oil an occnsion such as this, lie v wished to say that 110 oiio objected to unionism—sane unionism—but when unionism went mad it became lieccssarv for citizens-to look after -themselves. One realised the utility of men combining in their own interest, but, when they combined to molest society, it was time for the Government' to intervene. Every man had a right to work, but no man. had a right to molest another who wished to work. Tlio Government recognised that principle, and thoso people who came down from tlio country to enable those men who undertook to work to do so recognised it. When they came peace was restored, and the business of the country went on again. (Applause.) Officers Specially Mentioned. As Minister of Justice lie could never express his thanks sufficiently to Commissioner Cullen and Superintendent Ellison for the amount of work which they had done, and the energy and- enthusiasm with which they had carried out their duties. (Applause.) He and the Prime Minister had been in the thick of it, and knew what thoso men had done. H-c also wished to make reforcnco to men who had been prominent during the last few weeks—tc Colonel Knox, of the Permanent Force The treatment received by tlio officers and men who had como down from tin country was largely due to tlio organisation carried out by _ Colonel Knox Ho also mentioned Majors O'Sullivan Hume (Permanent Force), Coione Stuart Newall, Colonel lt-ussell, Coione Campbell (who liad given great assist ancc), Colonel Courtney, and Majoi Beere, and Messrs. Menteath, Menzies and Marshall. The ladies who-lookcc after the "specials," the gentlemen wh< had provided thim with entertainment and tlio cooks and waiters were also re membcrcd. Concluding, ho once mor thanked everyono wlio had been con earned on behalf of the Government and, ho believed, tho citizens of Ne\ Zealand. (Applause an d cheers.) PRIME MINISTER. MOMENTOUS HISTORY OF 1913. The Primo Minister said that ho -wa very glad to bo there to thank ever, mounted and foot special constable fo tho splendid work they had done- H would also iiko to includo the names c the Minister of Justice and tho Mayo amongst thoso to bo thanked, as no tw privato- men had done their duty mor thoroughly than those two. (Applause, His mind wont back to tlio first fc weeks of tho strike when business wa stopped, tho citizens panic-stricken, an the port closed, and to noto now thr business was normal and tho port opei ed. Ho could not help thinking of tli time when the Rimutakn was rusher when tho men at tho Post and Toll graph Stores were rnslied, and when tf specials detrained at tho Hutt were ii formed that some hundreds of strikei were waiting for them along the. roai and thev had to ro out of their way i tlio wet (and some of them got Jos; in order to get into town without a bio being struck. Ho spoke of the lii moral effect of tlm response made 1: the mounted moil. Nothing in the who of his life had appealed to him so nine ar> tho mnnncr in which t.hosn men lin responded to tho call of tho Govermnei

—in Auckland, in Wellington, and in Christchurch.

The Eentry on Wellington and Auckland.

Ono of the . proudest moments had j liceu when lie had scon 600 brown-faced I men riding through the streets ol' Weiin the early stilus of tho strike, '• and he had felt proud when 1300 men C'; had ridden down the streets of Aitek- '■-[ land and taken possession of. .tlie' * wharves. AYhen ho viaitett the Auck- ■, land Exhibition recently ho was told of ■_ one mounted special man who had been hit with a stone, 'lliis constable- made after his man, caught him, and knocked 1 him down with his baton. Incidents such as that had had as good a j moral effect in Auckland as , had the chargo in tho Post Office <. Square in Wellington. On another oe- j casion in Auckland three of tlio Red j Federationists had wandered near the ; specials' lines, and ono had boasted ivv a ( loukl voice that lie would light any three j "specials.'' Only ono man responded. '• , JIo was a big man—ono of a big family. 1 He said that he would fight all threo j Ked Feds, and, after ho had knocked J them out, lie pulled a sovereign out of his pocket and offered it to anyone game , enough to say "Scab!" but thcro was } no response. . 1 "No Recurrence for a Generation." J Mr. Massey also related that a re- j present-ativo of the United States Gov- j eminent who left New Zealand recently , had called oil him purposely to tell him j how lio_,admired tho nay 111 which tho , men front tho country had handled the , strike. In America, tho visitor had j said, the strike would have been handled j and the ports opened, liut not before a ( lot of lives had been lost. lie was going , to tell the people of America all about. , it when ho got back. When the history ] of New Zealand camo-to bo written a. . long and very important chapter would . be devoted to 19i3. Ho thought that . what had occurred during- the past fewweeks would prevent a recurrence of anything of ■ tno kind far at- least a. : generation. As a private citizen, a ( public man, and Prune Minister, _ho . wished to thank the mount-eel and foot specials for the good work they had done. OTHER SPEAKERS. CHIEF OF DEFENCE COMMITTEE. ; Mr. W. G. Foster, as chaitman of tho Farmers', Citizens', and Employers' I*,'feiice Committee, added his thanks for tho good work that- had been. done in a IrouDlous period. That- they had done well was snown by tho latest statistics which wont to show that- 10,0011 young ladies iii Wellington had lost their hearts to tho special constables who ivero single, and tho rest wore green with envy of those who were married. Mr. D. H. Guthrie, M.P. Mr. D. H. Guthrie, M.P., was enthusiastic in. his praise for. tho mounted specials, and said, that had they not arrived in tho nick of time there would have been a day oi' reckoning lor them (tho Government) and tho country at large. Ho called t-o mind when tho. first lot of specials arrived—3l.in all, from l'almerston North. They were a little bond —a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, but tlioy showed the way, and what tho country must do to uphold law and order. Mayor of Wellington, The Mayor (Mr. J, P. Luke) said that he boro a message from the people of Wellington to tho mounted and foot specials—a mossage of thanks for stirvices rendered. 'J'hcy had played their part in upholding tho authority of constitutional government, and in doing so had act-cci up to tho truo traditions of British people. Not'only had constitutional Government been uphold, but tho men had proved to be possessed of the i; ctiaractcnstics a f those who do not shirk responsibilities 'at tho supremo moment. I3y their action they had brought about stability-of government, and peace and happiness to the people of New Zealand. He wished to say that their womenfolk in tho country had mado sacrifices equal to those mado by tho men. Their young men and daughters had shouldered their responsibilities, and had established-a bond of fellowship that would not easily melt away. Ho expressed his appreciation of tho womenfolk and girls of Wellington—(applause)—and also, noted that some, of tho men had been up for threo nights" in succession on duty on the wharves. He had been told that he had not carried out his duties properly, taking all tho conditions into consideration Mr. W. T. Milk had told him as ii\uch, but ho thought that if tho occasion arose they Would elect him again. . (Applause.) Deep , down in his heart ho hoped that this striko would bo the last for many years, and that tho lesson taught would make ; for bettor conditions for the public and ' the manufacturer. (Applause.) ! Final Speeches and Cheers. Mr. T. Buiclc, M.P., also spoko ca--1 logistically of-the "specials." > Mr. Herdman then announced that . tlioy had exhausted'their stocky of ora- , tors, and called for cheers for the , mounted and foot "specials." ■ Mr. ; Masr.ey mado a similar appeal on behalf of tho "regulars," which were given with a rousing "Jolly Good Fellow" chorus. Then the foot "specials'-' chcered tho ' mounted meu, and the mounteds rei turned tho compliment. Hoots were given for tho Federation of Labour. Mr. Herdman also remembered the St. [ John Ambulanco Society. Then all pru--1 sent sang "God Save the King," after , which three ringing cheers were given , for His Majesty. Finally tho foot , "specials" mustered in companies and I dismissed for good and all under tho -, joiliest conditions.