THE WAIHI TROUBLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 21, 17 September 1912, Page 2

THE WAIHI TROUBLE.

CASES CONTINUED. (Per Press Association.) Waihi, September IG. The hearing of the charges of following np and annoying free labourers against W. E. Parry (the president of the Union), W. McLennan (vicepresident), J. Melhose and Chas. Opie, were continued to-day, the time of the Court being occupied by exhaustive cross-examination of the police. The defendants at different stages intimated to the Bench that they had abundant evidence which they would cal! later to prove that the police statements were absolutely incorrect. The hearing of the remaining police evidence will be continued to-night. MASS MEETING AT HUNTLY. Auckland, September 16. A meeting of the Waikato Miners’ Union, held at Huntly, was attended by three hundred, who passed a strong-ly-worded resolution denouncing the methods adopted by the authorities in penalising members of the Waihi Union and calling on the Government to. revoke the sentences passed on eleven strikers and liberate them from gaol. The meeting unanimously pledged its adherence to any decision re concerted action that the executive of the Federation of Labour may decide on, PERJURY PROSECUTIONS LIKELY Waihi, September IG. It is understood that the authorities are considering the advisability of instituting prosecutions for perjury in connection with some of the evidence given at the hearing of the strike cases. WESTPORT LABOURERS’ PROTEST Westport, September 16. The Westport General Labourers’ and the Watersidcrs’ Unions have telegraphed the Prime Minister, protesting against the gaoling of the Waihi strikers on the first offence; and also protesting against the Government encouraging the introduction of free labour to Waihi. THE STRIKERS IN GAOL. CONVERSING THROUGH IRON BARS. Auckland, September 16. About a dozen ex-Waihi miners visited Mount Eden Gaol this morning and asked for admittance to see their comrades. Only four of them were allowed inside the prison walls. The strikers were then in the exercise yard, and the visitors had to be content with conversing with them through iron bars. The prisoners, who were clad in prison garb, appeared to be quite cheerful, and it is stated that their demeanour seemed to indicate that they intended to “take out” their full term of imprisonment rather than find sureties. Any man, of course, may regain his freedom immediately he finds a surety of £lO. The alternative is twelve months in Mount Eden Gaol. Enquires at the institution to-day elicited the information that none of the sureties had been forthcoming. When Mr Parry’s statement at Waihi that the country would be shaken from end to end on account of the imprisonment of the strikers was made known this morning to the officials of the various unions in Auckland associated with the Federation of Labour, it was found that it came as something of a surprise to them. In the ease of the tramway men, the general labourers and the waterside workers it was ascertained that no communication had been received from the party. At the same time, however, it was not suggested that the president of the Waihi Miners’ Union did not know what ho was talking about. The General Labourers’ Union have decided to submit the following resolutions to a referendum of members:—“(l) That this union adopts the principle of 1.W.W.; (2) that this union registers under the Arbitration Act.”