THE WAIHI TROUBLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 20, 16 September 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI TROUBLE.

MEN 'TAKE IT OUT." (Per Press 'Association.; YV.-nhi, September 14. On tlio resumption or tlie strike cases this morning the question of tmI'ourteen dcienc.nus lintang sureties ol ~,,.■ j.'i.u;- tor Lvvolve moJuJis was eaten u into. .Mr. Taiiy, president of the union, said that tn'e men na'd unanimously dociucd not to find sureties, and would accept tiie alternative and go to gaol. i\/r. Eraser, the Magistrate, asked tiiom to reconsider their decision, and ~(■ would aliow them ample nine. He explained too nature <.f tlie bond the ciexundants were asked to feign, assuring tnem that it would not 111 any way in'Jerfero with the union trying to convert free labourers or any other person to their way of tninlcing, so long as Liiey did not cause annoyance or molestation. Every mail had a right to one public street, free from molestation. Mr. Parry said that he agreed with

Asked again did lie understand that the bund too men were asked to enter into would not interfere with members of the union converting any persons in the streets to their way of tninking Mr. Parry said: "ies, thoroughly; bit. cue men prefer to go to gaoi on principle, rattier than go back." Mr. Erasor: Do i understand that the principle of the men is the right to insult, to annoy, and to intimidate? Mr Parry said that when free labourers came into the town they would! be conferred with. The policy would bei carried out. ' | The Magistrate said that nobody wanted to stop the union's propaganda,! but they would have to confine themselves to talking to a man in a civil manner. If they went outside that they would be committing a breach of tlie peace. In answer, to a further question Mr Parry said that the men would go to

The Bench said that if the men were quite determined to go to gaol, he had done his best. He did not like seeing these men go to gaol on an erroneous principle.

Fourteen men were taken into custody. One (I). Kemp) intimated that io would find sureties, which were soon forthcoming, and he was rolcas.d.

Tli case of Hayden, another striker, was opened and adjourned. i'ho decision oi ! the defendants not to find sureties was arrived at at a mass meeting last night. Anderson, for using bad language in a train, pleaded guilty, and was bound ovor to keep the peace for twelve months. The case against O'Brien, of using insulting" language, was dismissed. M. Ilucld, arbitrationist, was charged with assulting O'Neil, federationist. Thero was a counter charge, O'Neil v. Itudd. Both were bound over to keep the peace for twelve months, in one surety of £2O. j hi connection with sureties for the fourteen defendants, Mr Parry, president of the union, was granted permission to address the court. He said that there was a vital pritfcipfei at stake. The union had set its face against unlawful behaviour, and goodi

b'.umviour had characterised the conduct of the strikers. If they fbundl sureties the union would break a vital principle of the wage-earning class. | In connection with thq . sureties,! two more defendants, Zonovich and Williams, have been released. They agreed to find bail, on the earnest solicitations of their wives.

Tho men taken to gaol were E. Dye, B. Campbell, A. Lindwarl, Harry ITarry, H. J. Powell. H. Soronsen, A. Oreig, F. Collins, F. W. Sykes, E. Almond and E. J. Dwyer. The wives of the men were allowed to bid farewell to their husbands before the latter were taken to the Waihi lock-up.

i'HK LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECTj

Waihi, September 15. hi the course of tlie address hy Mr, Parry, president of the union, to the Uourt, yesterday, the speaker emphasised his economic views. There was,] ne said, a fixed principle that every; worker that belonged to the wage-; workers' class should never do any-: tiling against that class. He con-; tencied that the evidence in these cases] had boon conclusively in their favour, from an economic standpoint, i'hev viewed justice differently to law as iaid down in the Statute Book. While the law remained upon that hook it was the duty of,His Worship to. administer the law in its entirety. He understood that in all ages reformers had brought about amend-; monts of laws by revolt, and the work-' ing-'class miners could not turn round and stultify the policy which their ancestors in'all ages had striven for.) 'fhey were not satisfied, from their, point of view, with the law's idea of Justice. The men had decided unanidously not to find sureties, and, as in alternative, would go to gaol. Mr Parry went on to sav that outside oi the strike be hafl told the local sear- 1 ;oaut of police that they wore going 10 maintain order. The sergeant replied that he was pleased to hear that, a: 1 that he would not bo a party to getting .extra police here. Jt had nov3;-,°said Mr Semple, at any stage boon necessary to have police rein-l forcen outs in Waihi. Mr Fraser: Do 1 understand that principle means to insult, to annoy an 1 o intimidate men. j In roily, Mr Parry said that in the event cf tree labourers coming in, numbers of his organisation would roni'or with them. That policy would be: carried out. ! Mr Kraser said thai was not the |x:int. There was nothing wrong i'l ■i man speaking to another man in the street, but a crowd was not neees-

Sill'.V. Mr Parry replied that they were not responsible for what n crowd did. Mr Frasor rejoined thai the wliole D-ii't was whether the liberty of the u-ct could bo interferrod with. Thai was the point of law they had to look ifj. There was no objection to moral suasion to gel a man over to their way of thinking, nt long as their conduct was free from annryance or inr.nlt. If the engine-drivers committed a breach < f the peace he would deal with them i.i the same way. He was not particular as to who il was Thev had n right to talk to any man about his principles so long as thev diil no! molest or intimidate. Nobody wished to ston the strike propaganda. Mr Frasor asked a<nun if thev would take time to reconsider their decision. He was not asking much. and. if they wen Id understand how little was being asked, they would agree to sign the bond. Mr Parry: Wo thoroughly understand that. After snuio further diosussipn, the •fitter closed, and thirteen men wove taken into ons+ndy. Patrick Scholia ml, for using insulting language, ws bound over to keep I lie n«aco. J. Doel. charged with ;'s- • i-alini' an arbitrationist. was fined (:2. and required to enter into a bond (n keep the for twelve mrnths. Re was given till Monday to pay the line an:! find sureties, The charges

against \V. Collins and Cbas. Parkin of using obscene language were dismissed. Kb von prisoners who rCl'lTsed to find sureties were taken away by the evening train last night. About 200 persons, including a number of women, saw them off at the railway station. Loud cheers wore given to the prisoners as the train loft tlie station. it is alleged that some of the wives of the prisoners stated that if their husbands attempted to sign the bond or find sureties, they would not let them enter their homes. Some thirty more following-up charges are down for hearing. The defendants have generally intimated that, in the event of their being required to find sureties to keep the pence, they will accept the alternative and go to gaol. The union is holding a general public meeting to-night.