STRIKE OF POLICE.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1923, Page 1

STRIKE OF POLICE.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. A PRESIDENT’S ADVICE. SPECIALS BEING ENROLLED. MELBOURNE. Nov. 5. A rough estimate of the damage made last night shows that a total of 78 shops were looted, men’s clothing stores in particular being singled out by the raiders. Twenty-one of these were stripped of their contents. Next came the jewellers’ shops, fifteen of which were ransacked. Altogether thirty shops were attacked in Bourkc Street, fourteen in Elizabeth Street, twelve in Swanston Street, eleven in i.ittle Collins Street, and five in Collins Street.

There were also isolated cases in other city streets as well as in the suburbs. Stocks of great value were pillaged wholesale. It is estimated that it will cost t.en thousand to replace the plate glass windows alone. Tom AYalsh. President of the Seamen’s Union, in addressing a meeting of the striking police on Saturday, urged them to meet force with force. He declared that the world was governed by the police force and if they carried on with the same solidarity as they were doing they would show the lirentier that lie would fail. The Government was merely the spokesman of the capitalist class. The meeting decided to ask the co-operation of the Trades’ Hall. The dispute, committee authorities had the position fairly well in hand last night. The loyal police, specials and detachments of former Light Horsemen who responded to the appeal for assistance, kept the crowds moving. One daring attempt to renew the disorder was made near the Eastern .Markets, where the police attacked about a hundred men engaged in pillaging a tailor’s shop. The rioters retreated, submitting the police to such a bail of missiles that eventually several shots bad to iv fired. Thereupon the crowd broke, and the police completed the rout with a baton charge. Several thousand specials have been emailed, a large percentage being returned soldiers.

ORDER, RESTORED. MELBOURNE, November 5. Order has now been restored. Tile city is in charge of large bodies of ini'iii'.i.ry and special police. Fully armed pickets arc guarding the banks and public buildings. .Machine guns are field in readiness at the Victoria Barracks. In view of these measures, a repretitioii of the rioting is not expected. The estimates of the damage through looting are very varied. They range from fifty thousand to a million pounds. Heavy showers fell on Saturday and Sunday, which helped to damage the spirits of the rioters, and there is similar weather continuing to-day. Owing to the troubles, Dr. ICnrleI’age (Federal Treasurer), and Mr Bowden (Minister of Defence) left Sydney for Melbourne last night,.

IN( IDENTS DESCRIBED. AIFTLBOURNE, Noveinlier 5. Numbers of women took a prominent part in tho incitement to looting. Among those dragged from the trail' was a clergyman, who, holding a Bible aloft, tried to calm the excited crowd. He was bowled at. and pelted with missiles, and finally ho was knocked over with a flying bottle. Anyone attempting to resist the rabble was brutally knocked about. (Some were kicked into insensibility. One motor-car carrying a posse of special constables was fired upon, a revolver bullet piercing the car and narrowly

missing a constable. The footpaths in the vicinity of the looted jewellers’ shops were littered with silverware anil other valuables, which the looters threw from the windows to those outside, who helped them, selves indiscriminately. Quantities were found afterwards that had been thrown aua.v in a rush to escape when the police ai rived in sufficient strength to scatter ihe mob. Business in the heart ol the city this morning presented a remarkable appearance. St n ets were strew n with broken glass and other debris, and many gaping emptv shop windows wore hoarded up. The falling 'mill helped lo heighten the scene of desolation. Squads of soldiers and men from the warships, with special constables, armed with Titles ami bayonets were all marching about the streets, guarding the banks and public buildings, and suppressing any inclination of the curious sightseers to congregate. They added to the general impression of a sacked city. One Burke Street- shop displays a notice: '‘Acs, we have no windows, but business as usual. As an outcome of the rioting, the Police Courts, which are being strongly guarded, are working overtime todav. There were long strings of (■barges, including those against half a dozen women for offensive and insult*

ing behaviour. The Government lias been inundated witli oilers of volunteer assistance. It has sworn in large numbers of special constaliles. Tl'ero appears to be little chance of a recurrence of tlio trouble on fkilurday’s scale, but there are u; d\ rumours that the Ballarat Police, and the City Tramwaymcn contemplate joining the strike. The Citizen’s Committee, the bieensed Victuallers’ Association, and the Hoi unied Soldiers and Sailors's League have taken measures to assist in every possible way the maintaining of law and order. The Lord Mayor lias issued a statement thanking all sections of citizens for their splendid, widespread response for assistance, proving that all rightthinking people are determined to proven: the city being handed over to mob rule. A statement issued by the Police Committee disclaims any connection whatever with rioting. There is a tendency on the pari ol the proj ertv owners to blame tile Govcrr.meiit for not, taking timely precautions to swear in sufficient special constables to guard the city when they knew the usual police were not available.

TWO-THIRDS OF FORCE OFT. MELBOURNE, November o. Among the Government’s precautionary measures is the transfer, irom Mil* liamstown to the powder magazine at Marybynong. of the ammunition and bombs. Sixty million cartridges and fifty thousand bombs are now being stored there under an armed guard. A recurrence of the noting is not expected. The Committee of the Victorian "Racing Club considered the postponing of the Melbourne Cup in view of possible disorders but has decided to hold it as usual. Additional plain clothes policemen to. dav joined the strikers who now number nearly two thirds of the total police force. ORDER PRACTICALLY RESTORED. .MELBOURNE. Nov G. Though order has been practically

restored tliero are still isolated outbreaks in various parts of the city. The Government has ordered the hotels to close at two to-day, until Thursday, with the object of obviating any disorder after the Cup meeting. A ban has been placed on the sale of bottled beer. A lire in premises in Spencer Street last night was attended by special constables, who were attacked by a 1110 b. A man was also attacked in North Alelbourne and his wife, who went to bis assistance, was also assaulted, Li.H i being badly injured. The business premises who suffered by the looting and damages have resumed trade. A number ol persons concerned in the rioting during the week-end have been sentenced to imprisonment, the terms ranging from three to four months.