THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 105, 19 September 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

SUPPORT FROM TIMARU. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Timaru, Wednesday. The Timaru waterside workers held a meeting to discuss the position at Waihi. Resolutions were unanimously passed authorising the despatch of telegrams to the Prime Minister that the Timaru waterside workers strongly protest against the imprisonment of the men at Waihi and against the action of the Government in sending extra police to Waihi, which has been the cause of the trouble, by inciting men who were otherwise orderly; to the Federation of Labor Wellington (with which the Timaru Union is affiliated): "The Timaru Union will faithfully adhere to any action deemed necessary by the Federation re the imprisonment of the men at Wami." THE ROAD TO GAOL. Thames, Last Night. With the object of preventing a hostile demonstration at Waihi on the depal ture of the president and vice-presi-dent of the Waihi Miners' Union, after being committed to gaol for refusing to enter into a bond to keep the peace, the police conveyed the prisoners to Paeroa, fourteen miles distant, by brake. The vehicle left early in the morning. Upon arrival at Paeroa the party of police and prisoners had breakfast, and then journeyed to Komata. The party boarded the train there, and were conveyed to the Thames, and thence to Auckland on the steamer Wakatere. There was slight cheering by the crowd on the arrival of the prisoners at the Thames, but no demonstration. . CASES CONTINUED. ANOTHER BATCH. Waihi, Last Night. The application of the police to have a number of strikers bound over to keep the peace was continued this afternoon before Mr. T. V. Eraser, S,M., the proceedings opened with a charge against C. Opie, alleged to have been prominent in the following-up of free laborers at Waikino on September 4. Opie pleaded not guilty, and conducted his own defence. In addressing the Court, Opie contended that Sergeant Wohlmann, in alleging that the defendant was in the front row at the demonstration at Waikino, on the afternoon of September had unquestionably made a mistake. A majority of the police called had stated that they had not seen him, and their testimony was supported by four free laborers who had been examined. ! John Law, battery hand, who was in defendant's company, stated that Opie was not in the front row, and had not been prominent in the demonstration. Opie had not followed the free laborers. Cross-examined: He had been on Dixon's track, and also near the foot of Fraser's track that afternoon, but was not following the men. Corroborative evidence was given by D. Conrick,

This concluded the. defence, and His Worship, in dismissing the information against Opie, said that the case for the prosecution was certainly not as strong as in the charges against the three others concerned. It was quite clear that Opie had been at Waikino and in the crowd, but it w;as not clear from the evidence that lie had followed, or as to certain places in Waihi it was said that he had been seen. This being so, he could not say that the charge had been proved. Tiie informations against F. Putan, G. Midwinter, A. Hughes, C. O'Tooie, A. Hislop, E. Worth, and P. Marks, for alleged following to cause annoyance to Engine-driver Haydon on September 5, and against C. Coghlan and Charles Harman, for threatening behaviour to Haydon. were then proceeded with. Hnrman was not in attendance, and the others pleaded not guilty. Opening for the prosecution Mr. Mays detailed the incident, stating that Haydon was followed by a large crowd, the accused being among the number. The driver was in considerable fear. On instruction from Constable Williamson, the man walked round a certain block, and the crowd followed all the way, thus proving Unmistakably that the' following was persistent and intentional.

Constables Miles and Williamson gave particulars of the following, the latter stating that defendants were promhent in the procession. There had been no attempt on the part of the followers 10 •convert" the diiver. The names of the men had been taken while the demon l stration was in progress. Haydon was excited and in a state of fear. Witness could hardly have credited that the strikers would foMow a man like Haydon, who was lame and a weakling. Cross-examined by Mr. C. Smith, who, by consent of the Magistrate, appeared for several defendants, Constable Williamson said that the following was such as to cause annoyance and intimidate Tlaydon, who might readily have been provoked to create a breach of the peace. His object in telling Haydon to follow a certain route was in order that he might satisfy himself as to whether the strikers were deliberately and intentionally following him about. Francis Haydon, the driver followed, said that the following was organised, and some of those taking part pressed <close,y upon his Keels. At one stage he, seized hold of two of the accused and pushed them iow«ids one of the constables. The attitude of the strikers caused him annoyance, and he was actually in fear. Cross-examined, witness said that he was satisfied that he was being followed for a purpose. He was in fear, and believed that he would have suffered bo.lily injury had the crowd got him away by himself. Re-examined, he said that he had not lost all fear, because he had heard that one of the drivers (Sheard) had been followed since the police proceedings 'had been instituted. To Mr. Smith: He would prefer to see more police in Waihi to protect marked men. He could do with three or four more himself. Constable 'Blackeley corroborated the evidence of the previous witnesses, and named some of the defendants as axong those who followed Haydon. This concluded the evidence for the prosecution. Evidence for the defence was taken to-night in 1 the eases relating to Haydon. The cases will probably conclude tomorrow, when a further batch of follow-ing-up tactics at Waikino will be henrd. SOUTHERN PROTESTS. Christchurch, Last Night-. 'At a meeting of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union, which is affiliate! to the Federation of Labor, it was unanimously resolved that "this meeting protests against tli-i action of the Government in sending bodies of police to Waihi and Waikino, with, we believe, the object of harassing peaceful citizens. Further, this meeting protests against the action of gaoling the men, as we are of opinion that the sentences are extremely unjust." After discussion the following motion was also carried: "That this union will abide by any decision arrived at by the Federation of libor in connection with the strike." The Canterbury General Laborers' Union agreed to a motion of protest much on the lines of the above, and also

resolved "that this union places pjwei i* the hands of the executive to men to Waihi to take the* place of prominent strikers who have been gaoled, should the Waihi Union need assistance. Also that this union sends its hiarty sympathy and appreciation to the Waihi strikers who have been gaoled for peacefully picketing, the laws of the country evidently being prostituted to enable tka mine-owners to beat the men." [ THE PRISONERS AT AUCKLAND. Auckland, Last Night. Another large crowd gathered on th* wharf this afternoon to witness the arrival of Parry, McLennan and Melhose. A thick rope was stretched across the wharf at both ends to keep back the crowd, which every moment was growing in dimensions. The police had taken every precaution to ensure order, and a strong posse of constables took up positions inside the rope. A four-wheeler, instead of the prison van, was drawn up at the end of the wharf for the purpose of conveying the prisoners to the gao!. By three o'clock the crowd on the wharf totalled 30,000, and as the Waketere came alongside Mr. Canham, an official of the Waterside Workers' Union, mounted on a pile of copra bags, and informed Parry and his comrades, "We're all here to welcome you, boys, and we've knocked off work for the day." He then? called for cheers 'lor the working-clasß victims of the big class struggle." The three prisoners were the first to leave the boat, and were at once placed in the waiting cab, one or two of the executive shaking hands with Parry and telling him to cheer up. The police then mounted the vehicle and walked along on each side of it until the wharf was cleared. The crowd cheered loudly, and tliorfe was a scene of considerable excitement and enthusiasm. UNION DISSENSIONS .' Auckland, Last Night. Previous to the mild demonstration on the Wakatere's arrival, some 200 members of the Waterside Workers' Union held a meeting and discussed the position. It was decided that on Saturday morning next, at 10 o'clock, work would be stopped on the wharves, and a mass meeting of members of the Federation of Labour should be held at Grey Lynn, to protest aginst the imprisonment of the Waihi strikers, and afterwards a procession formed to serenade the gaol. It appears, however, that there is great d'issenion in the ranks of the Union. It. was pointed out to a Herald represent;!- ' tive to-rtav that there were over 000 financial members and not a third of these were present at the meeting when this decision was come to. The "Moderate" section in the Union now demands that a ballot shall be taken on the question o£ ceasing work on Saturday morning.

DEMONSTRATION IN WELLINGTON. ? A CLASS ATTACK. STRONG "LANGUAGE. By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. Several hundred people gathered around a cart at noon to-day in Post Office Square, to hear Mr. R. Semple (organiser of the Federation of Labor) and other speakers about, the Waihi prosecutions. Mr. Semple contended that the strikers who had been brought by the police before a "class-biased magistrate" had done right in preferring imprisonment to "gag." if a man signed a bold he would be dogged by the police and would be in risk of arrest if he openej his mouth or even dared to look nla.ik. He described the police as "a necessary evil under capitalism," v and "paid hirelings of the capitalist class," called m by the mine-owners to do their "dirty work." He declared that the cause ot the strike was not internal trouble among the workers. The men had noticed that the owners, by putting in heavy timbers and otherwise, were making preparations at the mines for a struggle with the workers. The me*knew that the employers wanted to introduce the single-handed popper, and th'.' competitive contract system, an J the miners "caught the r.nners on the hop" by striking before these preparations Mere complete. The strikers would "accept an honorable settlement to-mor-row,'' but they would not be coerced. Mr. Semple bitterly assailed the New Zealand press, which he alleged was "capitalistic." The only exception waa the official organ of the Federation of Labor. "Every other organ, every other rag. supports capitalism," he said, and sections of the audience laughed. In common with the "capitalistic presv' the United Labor Party was violently attacked-as an organisation which had Mr. Semple's wrathful disapproval. "That crowd," he remarked contemptuously ; and then came the tags of "treachery" and "organised scabbery." He finished with a comprehensive defiance of "judges class-biassed magistrates and the police force." The strikers would "fill the blankey gaols" before they would surrender. He again hinted at a "surprise" for New Zealand. Mr. Howard, of Christchurch, read a proposal invit'ing the crowd to deplore the imprisonment o f the Waihi strikers, and "'calling on the Government to ■immediately and unconditionally re ease them."

"Yes" and "No" were voiced, and the motion was declared carried.