FREMANTLE RIOTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10284, 20 May 1919, Page 3

FREMANTLE RIOTS

FULLER DETAILS POLICE AND PEOPLE IN SERIOUS CONFLICT. Fuller details of tho industrial troublo at Fremantle are contained in the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" files to hand yesterday. A message received from Fremautie on May 4th stated: Consequent upon the decision of tho State Government to reopen wharves and afford protection to national workers, folding the receipt of a telegrain from the Acting-Prime Minister that the pledge to them had to be observed, a start was to-day made to barricade off the wharves. Arrangements had been carried out in Perth with great secrecy, and volunteers who had been secured in tho city to erect the barricades were brought down by motor launches and motorears at'about 10 a.m.. but so perfect was the picketing of all the avenues of approach to tho wharves by tho unionists that large crowds were at once on the bridges and at tho wharf, and the visitors were treated to a siege of stones, pieces of iron, and other misLarge numbers of women and children took part in the occurrence. Police wero sent to the bridges, but wcro powerless to prevent the crowd from showering stones and iron on the launches as they passed underneath. One launch was badly damaged, but its occupants were fortunate in escaping. MOB DEFIES POLICE. At Cliffs street end of the wharf, where the barriers were to bo erected, about 40 mounted constables and 120 loot polico wero in position to prevent the mob from getting near the wharf. The crowd, however, broke through the eastern end of the wharf approaches, and, defying the police, rushed along tho wharf, where a number of mounted men and police -with bayonets were sent I to resist them. Stones, pieces of iron, chains, bottles and other missiles were thrown at the [police, some of whom were injured. Batons were then drawn and used fretry. For a- time all was confusion and disorder, and tho polico who were between two frenzied crowds, picked up missiles thrown by tho lumpers, and hurled tbem back. Men fell on both sides and were trampled on by tho crowd. I Two policemen were rendered uncon- ! scions through head -wounds, but eventually the lumpers were forced off tho wharf. The crowd then took up a position in the railway yards, and continued to hurl missiles. By about_ 11 a.m. the crowd numbered 4000. Criers had been sent to the outlying districts calling for reinforcements. RETURNED SOLDIER BAYONETED

Tho police charged the crowd repeatedly, and were met by flying pieces of coal, road metal, chain, etc. In the melee a returned soldier was bayoneted in the thigh, and several revolver shots were fired by the lumpers. Mr Renton. president of the lumpers, and Mr Baglin, secretary of the Trades Hall, both received injuries from the police batons. The position was growing in.seriousness as the- ever-increasing crowd was proving too much for the small posse of police to withstand. The Premier (Mr Colebatch), w;ho had como down by" the river, realising the seriousness ot" the situation, had the Riot Act road, and the polico were then supplied with rifles and bull cartridges. Just as the position looked most ugly Police-Inspector Sellengcr appealed to the crowd, and asked its leaders to.confer with the Premier. This conference took place, and tho Premier gave his assurance that no further attempt would bo made that day to erect barricades. Th& crowd then withdrew, most of tbem to the Trades Hall, where a meeting was held. , . The- vice-president of tho Returned Soldiers' Executive, however, gathered about COO returned soldiers around him, and in tho course of a revolutionary address said they must avenge the blood of their comrade who had been bayoneted. , Another returned soldier said they nvust marshal their forces and fight tho capitalists with machine-guns and rifle*. SOLDIERS' RESOLUTION. At the close of the meeting, the following resolution was passed anna great cheering: That we, as returned soldiers, are prepared to defend the rights of the people agaiiftt the tyranny of tho present Government and to avenge the blood of a. wounded comrade. This afternoon a body of aborit. 4000 lumpers and sympathisers formed a procession and paraded the streets, breaking into the Employment Bureau, wricking it, and destroying the books. The casualties totalled 33, including. 2o polico. The four persons taken tothe hospital'-are expected to recover. MatI ters are much quieter this evening, but tho position is extremely critical. ■ FURTHER DETAILS. A furthor messago received from Fromantle on May sth was as follows : Matters wero quiote.r to-day in connection with the Fremantlo wharf lumpers' dispute, which was responsible for a serious riot on Sunday, when a number of persons wero seriously injured. Tho Premier and the disputes ".ommittoo are again in conference Bodies of returned' soldiers toured the district and mado demonstrations on the wharf, several national worker* t>c~ ing quietly escorted away from their work, and told to get out of tho town. A big body of returned soldiers attacked a police officer and severely illtreated him, knocking him down and kicking hira. Several constables ran to his assistance, and a general moie.e ensued. Tho position became so acute that tho police drew their revolvers, and shots were fired, but without harming anyone. This had the desired effect. .Several of tho polico were severely injured. To-night a crier is calling out that it is tho desire of Mr Renton, president of the Lumpers' Union, that no more polico should be molested. A mopti.tic; of returned soldiers is" being held, m Perth, and a lumpers' meeting is .taking place in tho King's Theatre. l)uri ing the morning orders wcro received by tho local police inspector to withi draw his forces and to send the country police back to their stations. During tho day roprt*senti\tiv»» ol tho returned soldiers visited the cafes and restaurants and advised the proprietors not to supply tho polico with food, under a throat of boycott. Tho withdrawal of the police, how«ror, overcame this diflicnlty. A mass meet ~" ■** Labourites and

lnmper sympathisers at His Majesty s Theatre resolved that the Government should end the Fremantle wharf deadlock without further bloodshed by excluding the National "Waterside Workers' Union from the work. • PREMIER REVIEWS SITUATION. The Premier issued a statement respecting Sunday's conflict at fremantle, setting out that. Sf> fat as the Government was concerned, the trouble was not a question -of Nationalist or Lumpers' Union; the whole point at issue- was whether law, order, and constituted authority were to he maintained. Mr, Cole-batch expressed keen appreciation at the loyalty and devotion of the 150 police who held the wharves, and who, till after the Riot Act was read, had no ammunition. No nationalist workers were on the wharves, and the men who erected the bairiers were volunteers, furnished by the consignees of |ho Dimboola's cargo.