THE STRIKE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 77, 1 December 1913, Page 5

THE STRIKE.

AT AUCKLAND.

FARMERS' UNION CONSTABLE LARY,

[Per Press Association.!

Auckland, November 30

The recent movement to establish a Farmers’ Union Constabulary toips, to be ready at a moment's notice in case of emergency, has assumed definite shape, and the constitution has been framed by the provisional committee set up to draft rules. According to the constitution drawn up, the objects are the preservation of tanners’ rights, and the maintenance of law and order. The corps is to be organised by and be under the control of the Farmers’ Union. Members are to consist of farmers and others directly or indirectly interested in farming, and will also include professional men living in the country districts. Members must be over 21 years of age. The organisation is to be run as a military body under the rules laid down in the King’s and other army regulations and the New Zealand regulations. The force is to be formed into troops of 21 men and one ‘officer, four troops to be a squadron, and four squadrons a regiment.

The squadron staff is as- follows: — Squadron leader, second in command, sergeant-major, quarter-mas ter-ser-geant, farrier-sergeant, two shoeing smiths, bugler and orderly. The regimental staff will be: Officer commanding, second in command, adjutant, regimental transport officer, quartermaster, medical officer, veterinary officer, sergeant-major, quarter-master-sergeant, saddler-sergeant, and two orderly-room clerks.

Two regiments are to form a brigade, for which there are to be similar officers.

An organiser is to be appointed by the executive committee in each district to select a selection committee of six, who will then select the balance of the men required to make up the troop.

The appointment of officers is to he by election, each trpop electing its leader, and so on. The subscription is to lie os for the first year, and 2s Gd thereafter annually. Parades are to be held at least half-yearly.

RIOTOUS STRIKERS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT. , i Wellington, November 30. The first persons to appear in tlio Supreme Court in connection with the strike troubles were Archibald Campbell and William Henry Lawton, who came before the Chief Justice on Saturday for sentences for taking part in a riot, an offence to which both had pleaded guilty. Mr H. H. Ostler represented the Crown, and Mr P. J. O’Regan the defendants. On behalf of Campbell, a respectablelooking middle-aged man, Mr O’Regan said that prisoner was already serving sentence of two months on a conviction in the lower Court with exactly the same circumstances. He had been found on the occasion of the Royal Tiger affray with a formidable bludgeon in the shape of a lead pipe in liis possession. It was for this that he was serving his present sentence. Prisoner could not be described as a rogue and vagabond. He w/is a waterside worker, 36 years old, married, with a family. He had been under the influence of liquor at the time and was in a most excited state of mind.

His Honor; The excitement would not have made himself possessed of a lead pipe and a brick. Mr O’Regan suggested that sentence should be made concurrent with the sentence already being served. In regard to the case of Lowton, who took a prominent part in the riot in Whitcombe and Tombs’ shop on October 30, the prisoner was 21 years of age. His Honor: Some of the riots were characterised by grave deliberation, f have carefully considered these cases.

His Honor sentenced Campbell to eight mouths’ imprisonment with hard labor, in addition to tire two months already being served. Lawton was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with hard labor, in addition to the three months lie is now serving, making twelve months’ imprisonment in all.

His Honor directed, that Lawton should be committed to the Invercargill Gaol, where he might receive suitable treatment.

Robert Adams, a middle-aged bootmaker, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court with interfering with special constables’ horses and using obscene language. He was fined £3, in default, one week’s gaol. WHARF LABOR AT WELLINGTON THE OPAWA’S FIREMEN. Wellington, December 1. The enrolment of members of the M barf Laborers’ Union was very brisk this morning. All labor available was engaged, approximately 1200 men being at work. In addition to this number, 200 men belonging to the union are away at sea. Altogether eighteen vessels are working. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Opawa, whose departure was held up yesterday morning through fifteen of her firemen not appearing aboard, sails immediately. The men were arrested and placed on hoard after appearing before a Magistrate,

who fixed an alternative of fourteen days’ imprisonment.

THE SYDNEY CONFERENCE. [By Electric Tllegbaph Copyright [United Press Association.] (Received 9.40 n.m.) Sydney, December 1. At the great Unionist Coiu’.ve'ic; on Saturday 200,000 workers were ie presented. Mr Parry was ire- “ii representing the New Zealand Fed eration of Labor, and Mr Storr represented the seamen of New Zeala i.l. The conference resumed at ton o’clock this morning. The Employers’ Defence Committee at Wellington cabled Mr Hughes i lengthy explanation of their attitude.

USING THE LASSO.

THE I.W.W.’S IN AUSTRALIA.

(Received 10 a.m.) Sydney, December 1

The Labour Council lias received an official statement from the strikers' organisation, in which the following clauses occur:—- “The Union has agreed to resume work under the old agreement and maintain tbe status quo of wages and conditions; tbe employers demand the abolition of the union, the abrogation of the agreement, and the denial of the right of the waterside workers as a whole to organise into one union; assistance was readily rendered by a large section of the general public, which had shown sympathy with the desire of the watersiders to maintain their Union; they won’t be beaten into subjection by hardwood batons and revolvers of the special constables, who ready are not the legitimate police, with whom they have no quarrel; the committee gives an assurance that if the agreement is reinstated anti it as given a clean slate the work at the port will proceed apace as if no interruption had taken place.” The committee points out that the cases where employers have been charged with a breach of agreement number 436, whereas the emnloroes’ breaches number .-.;dy 136 If, then, a breach o F an agreement u cant the abrogation thereof there wo il 1 not he a single award in existence to-day. Vie*, committee sanctions no ridling or disorder.

“SYNDICALISM ON TRIAL" The Herald sa'ys the Syndicalist method is on trial in New Zealand and at present there is a question whether it shall be tried in Australia also. An appeal has come from the leaders of the movement in New Zealand, who are fast losing ground there, but who look to dragging in Australia as a last desperate resort. The real division in New Zealand and here has been not over an original grievance, but the method by which it was attempted to settle it. The Syndicalist leaders in New Zealand have given the world an object-lesson in Syndicalist methods of remedying grievances of twelve men in a New Zealand seaport. “We don’t greatly fear,” savs the paper, “the extension of the strike in Sydney this week. A strike before next Saturday’s elections would have one certain result, of which the labour leaders, are aware.”

STRIKE JOTTINGS. The Ellham Borough Council passed the following resolution at its meeting;- an Friday night:—That the Council of the Borough of Eltham, which is the centre of very large operations connected with the dairying industry, upon which the people are mainly dependent, express their appreciation of the patriotic and disinterested action of those who have come forward at considerable sacrifice in some cases to assist the general government in the maintenance of law and order, and in the re-opening of the port of Wellington, which has enabled the accumulated produce of the farmers to be shipped to the Home markets.