THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 October 1912, Page 2

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

To tiio Editor. Sir,-■■ Have just discovered that ''I'ara Avis.' , viz: A par.son giving a straight-out; working-class opinion on tin , Wai hi strike. After being serenaded so steadily l'roin llio capitalist frog-pond, it g.'ive this writer a mild shock to read .such utterly iiiiortliodox and truthful statenients. Sec horoundor.—-Yours etc., H. T/KGER. CIVIC AND PERSONAL LIBERTY.. The mover of the resolution at the memorable Grey demonstrations was the l!ev. Ayrton, of RuiKinga, whose .speech was. punctuated with cheering. lie said he was pleased to associate himself with the movement to protest, against the dastaidly -in<l cowardly outrage, and he wished to emphatically protest against the gaoling of law-abiding citizens and the unjust treatment meted out to them. What crime were they guilty of! J Only that of standing by noble principles that cur forefathers had fought for and handed down to them. The foes wanted to take away tho great principle of civic liberty and to encroach on personal liberty, lie challenged anyone to prove that, there had been one net or word to cause such a Larjie number of police to lie sent to Waihi or for \~> innocent men to bo thrown into prison. In all his experience of industrial strife and he had seen a good deal of it throughout the world never had lie. known a body of men to conduct themselves so well and so manlv and to lie so coerced by a government. Government had joined hands with the capitalists (who were responsible for Hie whole trouble"), and were trying to take from us the precious privilege won for us hy gront men in Hie pa.-i. Those people claimed to be the descendants of a just and liberal people, yet they are trying to bring about a collapse of liberty and freedom and drag it in the gutter. Pome men there claimed to be ■ personal friends of Massey. but a man who sends .-in army of hirelings and assassins when any hody of men are prepared to ask for fair conditions - then il vou are friends of such taci jes, I am ashamed of you. (Great cheering). The gold owners wanted to sweep away all tin , present principles of unionism' and ,'il] the liberty they had. .and it had ended in the present struggle. A duty calls to citizens io see that those men got justice. ,