THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 141, 1 November 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

AN ABUSIVE SPEECH. By Telegraph—Press Association. Waihi, Yesterday. Messrs. Webb and Semple addressed a big meeting at the King's Theatre last night. The building was well picketed. Mr. Webb dealt at length on the Trades Councils of New Zealand and New South Wales. He said sach councils were organisations' of "scabbery." He hoped in time to have only one big union throughout Australasia, on Federation lines, and the Federation would fight on and on till victory was theirs. The speaker said he wished he had about ten editors of "Lying Institutions" of New Zealand on the plaform. He referred to Mr. Massey as "Bosko Bill," and the Commissioner of Police as "the miserable creature at the head of the police." He considered that had the Ward Government been in power, the strikers would never have been imprisoned. "Bosko Bill" had kept his promise of helping the workers by giving sixty-seven free board and a suit of clothes. He attacked the industrial workers of Auckland, who had not contributed anything towards the Waihi trouble, and were doing their level best to injure the Federation. He also attacked in turn "professional wowsers," trades and labor councils, The Voice of Labor, Professor Mills and Mr. VValsh, the organiser, and arbitration. The speaker said he would give half his life to have Mr. Mills on the platform. Not only were the Waihi strikers ready to go to gaoL but would go to the. scaffold before defeated. When they Had put all the men in gaol the women would carry on the figlit.