THE WAIHI TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 68, 13 November 1912, Page 4

THE WAIHI TRAGEDY.

The latest phase of the strike doings at Waihi and the dastardly shooting which took place should prove a very solemn warning to the rest of the! Dominion. Those who have been apathetic towards the folly of the agitat-! ors who have, against the real wish of the majority, forced matters to their present climax, will surely now be roused to see that law and order must prevail, and that the sternest measures must he taken to prevent the possibility of the recurrence of such a cowardly outrage as Waihi has now witnessed. That in their hour of need the men who are chiefly responsible for the continuation of the bitter struggle which the miners have passed through, should have slunk away in the manner they did, will he a hasty pill for Federation!sts to swallow. We sincerely hope that commonsense will come to the rescue, and that the sad doings recorded in our issue of yesterday will at least hear good fruit in the restoration of peace and goodwill between all concerned. The Magistrate who has upheld the law so fearlessly and the Government that has supported him deserve the fullest commendation, and the action of the police throughout has been a cred’t to the country they have served so fearlessly and well. It. is -to he sincerely hoped that this culminating act of madness may end one of the saddest incidents in the history of this favoured land. It is also to he hoped that some legislative restraint may yet he placed on the agitator: a limit to the freedom of speech must he fixed when that liberty becomes mere license to provoke to mtirder.