THE VICTORIAN EARLY CLOS IN. MOVEMENT. DISTURBANCES IN BOURKE – STREET. Two Arrests Made.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 28 August 1886, Page 1

THE VICTORIAN EARLY CLOS IN. MOVEMENT. DISTURBANCES IN BOURKE - STREET. Two Arrests Made.

An excited crowd gathered in Bourke : street shortly before eight o'clock on the evening of August 7 in connection with the attempt resolved upon by the Shop Employes' Union to bring pressure to bear upon the shopkeepers who persisted in keep 4 ing tbeir premises, open after hours, into closing at the same time as the traders who obey the law. It was announced at the meeting of the Shop Employe's' Uuion <on (says the "age")thatanumber of that bodyin* teadedtodistributebillsinßourke-atreetlasfc night. At about eight o'ciock the distribution of bills began, somethirtyshopemploye's being engaged in this work. Gradually the crowdincreased.until nearly 4,000 persons were parading the streets. A few minutes after the proceedings commenced the crowd halted in front of Mr Philip Blashki's jeweller's shop, 120,Bourke-street; East. The' maBS of people congregated outside the door, and right across the street to the WaXworke, the electric light in front of which cast a- brilliant glow over the moving multitude. Many of those who intended fco be 1 spectators merely took up a position on the blocks of flagstones which are piled up in the street near the northern footpath, and therefrom witnessed the proceedings. All the upstairs windows of neighbouring premises on both sides of Bourke-ttreet were crowded with spectators. The street was almost completely blocked, only a very narrow lane being left in the centre, to allow vehicles to move up and down. The crowd kept up a continuous uproar, and groans and hootings were freely indulged in, and cries such &b M Down with the late closing," " We won't be alaves " and "Down with the oppressors,'* were freely indulged in. First a batch of five constables appeared on the scene, bub the number from time to time increased a* the crowd grew until there were about twenty present, under Inspector Perry and they employed themselves in keeping the crowd moving and preventing the thoroughfarefrom being entirely blocked. Mr Blashki in his window displayed a large hand bill having the words in glaring red letters, "Compulsory Closing Means Large Sacrifices." This tended to excite some of the. rowdy characters amongst the mob, and a stone was thrown at the window, but fortunately it struck the iron gas pipe running under the verandah. Some disturbance was caused by the arrest of a young lad who was distributing bills outside Mr Blashki's door containing the following words : — Indignation ! Indignation ! — Assistants, your boon ib beiDg taken from you ; thejcouncils are cheating you ; the Government won't protect you. Be men — protect j ourselves. Go as one man to town and persuade the Bhops to close. Sight hourem«n and all supporters, help us ia this giest work. We meet in Bourkestreet thiß and following nights. We are determined to gain our enn in spite of the modern slave driver and the " Argus." Another handbill contained the following :— Bourke-street Demons^ ration. — We are determined to have our rights. No shops are allowed to be open after soven o'clock, except those exempt in the act. Assistants, let the GoverimienCsee that you will have the law observed.

The lad, whoso name was Alfred James, and who wns 18 years old, was charged "with having, contrary to the Act, distributed printed papers in a public place to which papers the name of the printer^was not attached.' At about half past eight o'clock when the crowd numbered nearly 600 people, a baker named John George Webb, aged about' 38 years, who had b*'en rushing about excitedly, waving ; a mas*i-'e stick in the air, was arrested and placed in the watchbouse. The members of the Employe's' Union, who were present to the number of about 200, kept pretty quiet. Two or three attempts were made to deliver stump speeches. Mr E. H. Lassetter, secretary of the Shopkeepers' Early Closing League, mounted on a barrel and succeeded in gaining tbe ear of the crowd tor a few minutes while he haranged his somewhat noisy audience on the injustice done to employes and to those shopkeepers who desired not to keep open,by those shopkeepers who would not , close their business premises until nine o'clock. Mr Stone, who organised the demonstration, also made a speech. Another youny man essayed to speakV but the police' arrived and objected to allow- him <to proceed. Shortly before nine o'clock a 'large posse of the night duty police came down Ruasellstreet into Bourke street, and kept the c 9 wd moving about. "Rule Britannia," was then sung by the crowd, particular emphasis being laid on the words — " Britona, never, never shall be slaves." 1 About. this time Mr Blashki put his shutters up, and the mob moved on to Mr fianke s grocer's, higher up the street. / There they groaned and 1 hooted > and distributed bills till Mr Hank s puthis shutters •up. Amove was then madehigherupßourkestreet,till 1 he American Tailoring Establishment was reached. But tbe doors of this .establishment were 'closed, and the .crowd, after indulging in a little hooting, went down Stephen -street, hooting and^ sinking as they went, untlhthey reached LcnsdaleBtreet,'. where they dispersed. . ,•» w

, Prosecutions ( in the Police Court. At 1 the city "Police Court a youth 'giving his name as" Alfred W'i^ am James, described* as a ! grocer's assistant; was charged with unlawfully distributing' in a public place hauftbills to',wbich the printerVname was not attached. Mr 'Raphael prosecuted, a'nd'Mr'Fi'elifcr defetlded." Accused pleaded guilty. s Mr Raphael said this was'a serious case of attempted/ intimidation^ of (a'<shopkeeper,' who it was' sought >by menaces^and violence to- Compel 'to bis 'establishment; which ! he < Had'- permission frorir-the f City Council- to keep open Until nine' o'clock p.m.'; The* def£tfda'nt|> aoting asthea^ent bf al'lGagu'e{"la 1 'lGagu'e{"l\ l iidf diPtribrite'd inflammatory 'haWdbills^iri'Bott'fkiß-strefet ; "an'dihe.h)a,d.col--le'cted l a ff c'ro'w*d^of ! 6bnie"thouBahdBrbfJipeo,ple in front qf^Mr'Blashki'B shop; where&amage s 'done. 3f fA'fi > rie? bf '£20£\vasHnfliotea:? tfdCbe re•|foVerea!by ISVy^rid' distress; * k Win> had