That Alleged "Riot" at Waihi

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 87, 15 November 1912, Page 8

That Alleged "Riot" at Waihi

SCABS V. STRIKERS.

"HEAR BOTH SIDES."

PART OF THE POLICE

Sir,—No doubt by now all the papers of New Zealand are ringing with the riot of last Saturday night. I need not waste energy .by saying that the riot merely existed in the minds of the editors. Certainly a trap was laid which would have resulted in a riot when a certain mounted constable charged the footpath, where women with children in prams and push-chairs were standing, had not our people kept their heads cool. It is no thanks to the police, nor to the scabs, who parade the street and do and say just what they think fit to try and get the strikers to commit violence. It is their duty to try and make a riot, to do something desperate so as to justify the police being in Waihi.

The bluecoated man is supposed to be here to protect both sides, and this is how it is carried out: The scab is taken to and from work in vans and brakes, with a policeman driving, others sitting alongside them, and one or two mounted police following beside each brake as guard of honor. At every hour of the night, when the strikers are peacefully in bed, we hear the protectors of the law and order parading these crawders' houses.

The protection on our side is as follows : We get down Seddon street on Saturday afternoon, and the scab stands in the middle of the road in full view of the representative of law and Order, and sticks his finger to his nose and calls the strikers vile names—and the police merely laugh. Walking along, some strikers are standing on the footpath conversing, and along comes the bobby and orders you off. At night the scabs pelt matured eggs at strikers, then they call the police and point.out our women as the aggressors. The strikers retaliate by calling out "scabs," and the man who is there to protect us all loses his head and charges his horse into a crowd of women and children —then they yell through the press: "Riotl" and sneer at the unwomanly conduct of the strikers' womenfolk.

Nothing is said of the hundred and one insults which we on our side have daily to put up with, knowing full well that for the sake of our boys who are in Mt. Eden (innocently jailed) we cannot retaliate in blows. Our fight has been clean —how clean no one outside ourselves will ever know —but how dirty and unscrupulous on their side; they have stopped at nothing at all. When those loyal scabs are being taken to and from work, they can hurl filthy expressions at the strikers while the police sit beside them and smile; we call out "scab," and the officer of the law puffs out his chest, out comes his pocketbook, and a demand "Your name." He shed his civility when he shed his manhood. They do not understand our principle, possessing none themselves. Still, we do not mind. We are prepared to put up with more if need be; they will never force our men back beaten. We aTe more determined after a six months' fight to stand by our men and help them to win. After all, comrades, what are all these things compared with the terrible suffering of our fellow-workers in America? Let us all be up and doing if we want to prevent American conditions coming to New Zealand. There is only one way to do it, and that is by our industrial organisation. Let every man and woman educate themselves in the working-class movement; be true to yourselves, true to your class and remember that no leader or leaders can free you, but our emancipation is entirely with ourselves.—With ''fraternal greetings, E.M.H. Waihi.