WAIHI STRIKERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1098, 19 September 1912, Page 3

WAIHI STRIKERS.

PARRY AND MCLENNAN GO TO GAOL. Waihi, September 17. After hearing the charges against the strike leaders, Mr Fraser, S.M., ordered the defendants Parry (president), McLennan (vice-president), and Melrose to enter into bonds of £lO each, and to find further sureties of ,&io to keep the peace for a period of twelve months. The costs in each instance totalled £7 3s. His Worship,made further efforts to persuade the men against going to gaol. The defendants, however, elected to stand to their principles and to go to gaol. A party of twenty constables and a sergeant were telegraphed lor last night, and left Wellington yesterday. Auckland, Sept. 17. There was a poor response to the final appeal for the 2s levy imposed upon the members of the Auckland Tramway’s Union, which was collected on Friday last. The collectors did their best to persuade the members to make further contributions to the fund on behalf of the strikers at Waihi and Reefton, but all persuading was of no avail, as members were tired of the levy. None of the imprisoned strikers have yet taken the simple steps necessary to secure their release from gaol. Yesterday they were quite happy in the exercise yard all to themselves. They spent the day chatting and walking about. They were undergoing mere imprisonment without hard labour, and have nothing to do apart from eating and sleeping. Several offers have been made to provide sureties which will suffice to release the men, but they have been declined. WATERSaDERS SECEDING. Dunedin, Sept. 18. A ballot by the Dunedin Waterside Workers’ in favour of secession Irom the Federation of Labour was carried by a large majority, but a fresh ballot is necessary consequent on objection being raised by some members that the ballot papers as worded were misleading. GOVERNMENT’S INTENTIONS. In the House of Representatives Mr H, Poland (Ohinemuri) asked the Prime Minister if the Government intended to take any immediate action to bring about a settlement of the trouble at Waihi. Hon. W. F. Massey said the Government had been doing, and would continue to do, all that was possible to settle the disputes both at Waihi and Reeftou. Mr Poland asked if the Government intended to withdraw the extra police at Waihi. The Premier replied that the extra police would remain at Waihi as long as was necessary to provide adequate protection. Replying to Mr J. Robertson (Otaki), Hon. A. L. Herdmau, Minister of Justice, said that scores of people at Waihi had applied to the Government for adequate protection. He thought there were between 60 and 70 police there now.