CASE AGAINST YOUNG OPENED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 7, 3 October 1917, Page 6

CASE AGAINST YOUNG OPENED

Young was then charged. He eaid: I plead not guilty and I defend myself. Mr. Macassey said that Young was the most prominent speaker at the conference with the employers, and that he made there what was taken as a threat. After the strike Young attended the conference with the Ministers of the Crown. Witnesses who gave evidence in Howell's ease were then called again by the Crown. The Crown witnesses were cross-exam-ined at length by defendant. Some of the lines of cross-examination were objected to by Mr. Macassoy on the ground of irrelevancy. His Worship said he took it that defendant was seeking to show that there had been a lock-out and not a strike. Defendant: Quite so. When Captain Petersen was giving evidence defendant asked him how the men came to cease work. Witness eaid he had given instructions that if the men refused to go to sea their employment was to be discontinued. Defendant: Didn't you know you had power under the Shipphig Act to prosecute the men for refusing duty? Why didn't von prosecute them if it was the men who struck? Witness: Because we didn't think it was the men who caused the trouble. We thought it was the executive. iDofendant: If the Crown had as much evidence against us as is floating round against the Shipowners' Federation we would have been up on t the Terrace long ago. Voice at the back: Aye! His Worship: You must go cut. 1 won't have this Court turned into a music-hall. • ..,,<.„ The case stands adjourned till 10.30 a.m. to-day.