RIOT AT KALGOORLIE.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 September 1919, Page 6

RIOT AT KALGOORLIE.

UI\YPC)I’UI.«.e\R IT.-XLIANS. RETURNED S()I.DIERS’ FIAT. SINGLE MEN ORDERED TO GO. ' SYDNEY, Aug. 21, There were grave fears tlmt rueiali riots of :1 serious kind would follow} the atfray in Kalgoorlie on August 12,} when a returried soldier was fatally! stabbed by an ltzili-.111, and the retllrn- ‘ ed soldiers’ organisation issued an wzlrn- l ing that all Italians should leave the‘ place with no loss of time. The soldiers’ notice expired on Saturday, but by then ma'£’fol‘S had quietenedflown considerahly. There was a great exodus of Italians from the geldfield, however. There are, pwliaps, 20,000 people in and arouml I-§nlg2;oorlie, and about 1000 of them are Italian l:lboul‘ers. They do the Very lieavy w_ork about the mines,‘ but ‘J l.:!l'ge proportion of them an. “out. on the V\*oo(l~liiies.” These geldfields depend for fuel m:linl_\,' on wno{lg which have to he bronglit ltm-g distaneeé, and considerable numl)ers'of men are eniployed in th'e laborious work of Wood-cutting and transportation. There was .2 strike on the ‘wood-lines the other «lay, and the‘ Italians went erowdin_;' into the town. - Kalgoorlie has its’ It.a.lizin quzirter, and the Italians lfeep aggressively to their own Iznugytiage, institutions, and customs. They have their own wine saloons, and it is sta.id'th‘at. Australian t women have been enticed into their undesirable. establishmehfi. Now and | again they are festive, ‘They inure-h out into the streets, jofétling passers-by and "-"iftil." ':;"1"‘l._3, their pzrtriotic Songs. AIl)'il1l2lg' lrut :1 f;-iendlly feeling 11:13

grown up between the Italians and the British. There is a great prepon(ler~ ance of “men on these goldfields —a: condition which seems always to lead to outbre.-s..l{s of l:l\\'le.~ts'ile:~'S. There have been many crimes of violence, and no less than three men are at present in gaol in Kalgoorlie a.\\~'aiting trial on murder ellzll'_;es. .~\lthoug*h it was a returned soldier that was stabbetl, the riot whicli followed was not the work of returned men. but of a most undesirable element of hooligans and looters. The mob attacked the premises of many quite in~ offensive Italians, ‘simply in -order that they niight: rob them, while the real culprits, sin~g\le and irresponsible Italian labourers. were not hurt. That was why the soldiers’ fiat. went forth: ‘”l‘»ho 11mna,rrie(l ~ltal;ian.< must gel‘ out.” The soldiers deelareal that there would be no further disOrdm', but their grimness and determination had an effect. The exodus on the following Friday and ‘<3l-Ul-(1;1y was .90‘ great that a special train was required. _. . Most of the s.ins__zl‘e Italians have gone out tolthe uwood-lines, where work has re<:enllnellee<l=,. Others ‘have headed for Perth and I‘7l"‘Co]_ll__<'l‘l.l_iiC_ It is not desireil to deportlthem, but only to Scat» ter them.-A Europeans are not unwelcome in’ .-&u,s.t.ralia,rbllt trouble will always follow wlmn ~tlley herd togoHl]o—l' in o.\'(_‘TlllSi\i’("€fOJmilll]lifi(?_S. . -