The Blacklegs' Defence and Account

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 90, 6 December 1912, Page 7

The Blacklegs' Defence and Account

STRIKE A FAROE AND TRAGEDY

Leprous-hearted Federation-Feather-brained Parry-Mrs. Evans "stayed at home"-Offlolal aeoount of Black Week. The following "manifesto from the new Waihi Union" reached us last week: — The strike, which began on May 13 with a farce, continued its burlesque tor weary months and reached its stage ol tragedy on November 12. Never in industrial history nave such dirty and despicable methods been used, and these, too, to fight an unclean cause. For the Avhole regrettable affair has been merely a protest against the desire of a section of men who wished to work under arbitration. These :men, the engine-drivers, tried the Federation of Labor, and found it mo>t grievously wanting, found it incapubic, unbalanced, and hysterical. Tlief found it fighting political and religious lights, and proved that its system was unsound and its tenets unreliable. They cut adrift and registered under arbitration. Hence the absurd strike to coerce these men back, and an ultimatum to the companies that they must not employ these men. No coiditions ot wages were at issue, but merely v point of tyranny by a domineering so-called Federation, who themadmit that Waihi provided tne i.ighest wages and best conditions in the- whole world! Scores of men made t'r.t'm £4 to £6 a week; some contractors drew £100 a month! But the die was cast.; the leaders saw the cror and failed to retreat manfully, and the drugged wearily on. The leaders were not only ignorant m>ll ignorant of economics and ot commjii horse sense, but neurotic, hystencul and petty. Their picketing was a trattsty on the name, and was carried to such extremes of annoyance and insult to ant.i-Federationists" that neutral citisiensof Waihi were compelled to opply for police protection. This was provided by the Government, and as a iesult some dO law-breakers were asked to sign a bond promising good utbaviour. They refused and to attract public sympathy elected to go to ia»l, where they posed as martyrs to ihe causa Wnen ttie mines re-opened the arbitrationists gradually gathered strength and could no longer put up with the appalliug and almost incomprehensible state of tyranny, intimidation and ii suit to themselves, their wives and families. For weeks the workers' houses were surrounded by strikers, their wives, and even their children, hurling filthy insults, yelling and hooting and behaving like wild animals. For weeks reckless boycotting of tradespeople, intimidation of sympathisers, and the wildest system of lies were perpetrated. Many cases of violence occurred, but the presence of about a hundred police, specially picked for their tact, discretion and good conduct, kept the' irresponsible' mobs somewhat in check. At last gelignite waa used, a plug with lighted fuse being deliberately thrown at a group of arbitrationists, whose escape from the resulting explosion was nothing short of marvellous. Had the hissing fuse not attracted the attention of one of the group, at least 20 men must have been blown to pieces. This quickened sleeping fury in the hearts of men whose wives for months had not been able to walk the streets, men who had to carry arms for protection, who had been attacked at night, and who were just about full to bursting with rage against the leprous-hearted Federation of Labor and its demoniacal systems of filthy abuse, slaadefr, lies, calumny, and oppression.

On Monday, November 11, the insuiting aggressors drew upon themselves an attack by their victims, and the resultant sound thrashing they received from the workers should have been 'sufficient warning even to such shallow-thinking men as they were. But no! Loathsome language to workers, their wives, and their children continued, and open threats of violence to life and property were indiscriminately hurled at them.

On Tuesday, November 12, a gang of workmen, on passing the Miners' Union Hall (the local-home of the Federation), were greeted with base and wholly un-called-for insults, followed by a pistol shot. The infuriated mem rushed the hall,v more shots greeted them, luckily badly aimed. Only two shots found marks: an arbitrationist fell and a policeman who sought to save the Federationists from the fury of the mob, received a bullet in the abdomen. On falliug, the constable struck down his attempted murderer with his baton, and the would-be assassin 'died in hospital. The constable, at the time of writing, is hovering between life and death; the arbitrationist who was also hit by a striker is quite out of danger. The crackling of pistol shots released the restraint of the honest workers. who rushed at the strikers, and in a brief time revenged the hideous nightmare to which they and their families had for six months been treated.

The police strove mightily to restrain the infuriated workers, but wore only partially successful. The strikers were hunted in all directions, and, man to man, had to account for many a long score of bullying women, children and isolated men. The mine whistles blew in yam; mass meetings were held; the Red Flag (cause of all the hatred, the malko, ruin and bloodshed) was publicly burnt in the street, and a list of about 30 of the chief persecutors was drawn up. This list was read publicly, and within 48 hours not a man on the list was left in the town. The defeat was sudden, dramatic and complete. The tyranny of months was concluded in a few hours. The national flag was flown, and women hidden for months behind their closed doors came forth in the streets without fear of molestation.

But the blackness of the tale is not ended. The "martyred" men signed their bonds and came out of jail. Their so-called leader, a feather-brained man named Parry, organised a dramatic procession to follow the 'martyred" remains of Evans (the striker who shot the constable), and arranged for all Federationists to loave Waihi. Money was forthcoming from the "Strike Funds," which duped and deluded workers of other parts hacf for long been hoodwinked into providing.

And now began perhaps the foulest play of the whole affair, the issuing cf "manifestoes" and statements so grossly untrue a 9 to be ludicrous if not so damnable. Instead of taking a beating like men, every possible He, direct and unblushing, has been concocted about the workers, the police, and the citi-

aens Even the matron of the hospital (who sat up all night with the wounded Evans, whose wife stayed at home) ..was grossly maligned. Details of the lies are impossible, and anyway are so revolting and palpably absurd that they only serve to show the mental calibre of their inventors. Since the rage caused by the shooting subsided., not an angry word has been spoken, not a blow has been struck. The arbitration supporters carried the day with determination and upheld their victory with dignity and decorum. Strikers are now leaving by dozens (at Parry's bidding), and declare they are driven forth—that murder, persecution, pillage and arson, etc.. arc rifo. As a matter of fact, not a single instance of retribution by the arbitrationists has boon recorded. ■Those men and women whoso mouths were foulest and their threats the loud :©st may walk the streets of Waihi as they would of Auckland. The arbitrationists have gained a complete victory, but do not frlnat : tlioy have banished the leaders, but wage no war again: deluded men or their women land. Truly, the Waihi strike will be remembered as. the roost absurd on record, its weapons the foulest and dirtiest aod most cowardly (for women, aiv even cliildren, were put to the front), its conduct the most petty and miserable, and its finale the most nn-British and unsportsmanlike. On tho other. hand,' the neutral citizens., the police, the engine-drivers and the arbitrationists have come out clean-handed and unstained, and no man can point- at them the finger of reproach. They have established a record for our national traditions and lor their true Christianity in showing patience in suffering and mercy in victory. Throughout the Dominion of New Zealand tens of thousands of workers and citizens are hoping and trusting that the sturdy men of Waihi have sounded the death knell of the Federation <jf Labor, an organisation at onco undemocratic and vile, and wholly op post'd to the interests of unionism and to the uplifting of Labor, an institution managed by men totally unfit to have charts of any organisation whatsover, for they have proven themselves to bf> unmanly traitors, self-seekers, and hopelessly unable to cope with Labor troubles even of the must elementary nature. M. B. RUDD. President. H. GRAY, Vice-president. H. N. PI'LHAM, Secretary fWe uVhI with the above editorially. —Ed. "M.W."]