WAIHI STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1018, 2 November 1912, Page 3

WAIHI STRIKE.

Waihi, Oct. 31

Messrs Webb and Semple addressed a big meeting at King’s Theatre last night. The building was well picketed. Mr Webb dealt at length on the Trades Council; of New Zealand and New South Wales. He said such councils were the organisations of “scabbery.” He hoped in time to hav: only one big union throughout Australasia on federation lines, and the Federation would fight ou and ou till victory was theirs. The speaker said he wished he had about ten editors of the “lying institutions” of New Zealand on the platform. He referred to Mr Massey as “Bosko Bill” and the Commissioner ot Police as the “miserable creature” at the head ot the police. He considered that had the Ward Government been in power the strikers would never have been imprisoned. “Bosko Bill” had kept his promise of helping the workers by giving 67 free board and a suit of clothes. He attacked the industrial workers of Auckland who had not contributed anything towards the Waihi trouble and were doing their level best to injure the Federation. He also attacked in turn “professional wowsers,” Trades and Labour Councils, the Voice of Labour, Professor Mills and Mr Walsh, organiser of Arbitration labour. The speaker would give half his life to have Mills on the platform. Not only were the Waihi strikers ready to go to gaol, but they would go to the scaffold before they were defeated. When they had gaoled all the men the women would carry ou the fight,

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE,

Discussion arose in the House on Thursday ou the Petitions Committee’s report on a petition from Timaru praying that the strikers in the Auckland Gaol should be released. Several members contended that the law had been vindicated, and the men should be released.

Mr J. Robertson, M.P. for Otaki, speaking in reference to the imprisoned Waihi strikers, in the House on Thursday, said that it was an unwise way of showing strength to keep the men in gaol. He was quite sure that public opinion was to the effect that the punishment was out of all proportion to the offence. Mr A. Harris (Waitemata) : Don’t you believe in the law being upheld ? Mr Robertson •. The pi Ole about the law being upheld, especially coming from the member for Waitemato, is nauseating. It must be admitted by everyone that the law had been asserted and upheld. The public as a whole would not take the view that the men could release themselves whenever they wanted. The longer the men remained in gaol, the stronger public opinion would form in favour of their release, and it would be very damaging to those responsible for placing them there. After the first batch of men had been placed in prison there was more lawlessness than before. The Hon. Herdmau, replying to arguments, said that there was not one member who would protest against the enforcement of the law if they knew the whole of the circumstances. He read a letter dated September sth, and signed by thirty-eight Waihi citizens. The letter stated that an intolerable condition of industrial warfare had developed in Waihi, and they called on the Government to perform its duty and them and their property. They considered that matters had got to the condition they were in through the inability of the Government to grasp the situation. The Minister said that so long as he was Minister for Justice law and order would be enforced. He would make no distinction between the Waihi strikers and anyone else. It had been suggested that the Government had sent a special Magistrate to Waihi to try the men. That was absolutely incorrect. The Magistrate had had three courses open to him when the men came before him—to fine, imprison, or order to keep the peace. He bad inflicted the lightest penalty possible. The Minister emphasised the point that the men were not confined to gaol by the Government, but by their own wills. The Minister said anyone could sign a bond or get a friend to sign it, and get his release to-morrow. The men were classed as secondJass delinquents, and prisoners of that class were not denied anything the regulations allowed. He had given instructions that the men could do any work in prison there was if they chose. The House divided on the amendment to refer the petition back to the Committee, the voting being : For 21 Against 44 Mr Witty then moved that the report be referred to the Government for consideration. The Government had had a very unpleasant duty to perform, and, having performed it, were satisfied to leave it at that. Mr Witty 's amendment was lost by 40 to 22, and the report, which had no recommendation to make, was received