War in Waihi

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 152, 14 November 1912, Page 5

War in Waihi

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. INSPECTOR CULLEN GIVEN A FREE HAND. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Wednesday. The Prime Minister states that with regard to the position at Waihi, the Government has the fullest confidence in Commissioner Cullen, who has been given an absolutely free band to do everything possible to maintain law and order. ORDER PREVAILS . THE INJURED MEN . FEDEKATIONISTS LEAVING. Waihi, Wednesday. In strange contrast to the condition of affairs yesterday morning, the Arbitrationists went to work this morning without incident. There were no Federationists or their women folk to be seen. Thin morning the workers reached their destination for the first time since commencing work without being "booed" at. or called scabs." Several of the more prominent FMerationists left town this morning. TV members_ of the new union burned. ! n the public view yesterday, the red fit" which had represented the Federation in Waihi.

There is no change in the condition of Constable Wade, the victim of yesterday's shooting at the. hands of the strikers. The condition of Evans, who fired the shot and was batoned by the victim, is still precarious. THE FEDERATION OFFICIALS. DODGING WAIHI . Huntly, Wednesday. A meeting of the Waikato Miners' Union was addressed by the Federation officials., The Waihi delegates complained bitterly of the treatment meted out to the Fedcrationists at Waihi. They attributed the trouble there to the presence of the police. There was some talk of a general strike, but nothing transpired, nor was any action taken in that direction.

Messrs. Remple, Bell and Fraser were escorted to the station and cheered. It is understood that they are proceedin" to Wellington direct, avoiding Waihi. ° SENSE AT LAST. Auckland, Last Night. Bonds have been entered into by Mr. Fraser, of tb.a Federation executive, for the release of Parry and three other of the imprisoned strikers. THE END OF THE STRIKE . ' BITTERNESS AGAINST SEMPLE. THE INJURED MEN IMPROVING. Waihi, Last Night. Order has been restored in the town. The exodus of the extreme Federationists continues. About forty left the town this afternoon by train, some of them being accompanied by their wives and families. Another batch left,by the C) p.m. train. The destination of some was Auckland, Waikato and the Thames. This afternoon, when the men came off shift, there was not the slightest sign of any molestation. Indeed, there was not a single Federationist in sight. As has been the custom the men were picked up by brakes in the street opposite the new Union Hall and driven to their homes. Tt is understood that the practice of driving the men to work-in brakes and driving them home again will be abandoned, and the men will walk to and from their, work.

Quite a large number of Federationists applied at the Waihi Company's office for work, but the applications were not dealt, with. Some of the applicants had taken a prominent part in past demonstrations and the company had a full knowledge of this, but the men protested that they had not been prominent. It is quite certain that the worst behaved of these men will never get work at either the Waihi or the Grand Junction mines. The Federationists are bitter against Mr. Serople for the predicament which they allege he has got them into. They state that he should have called the strike off. Many now state that they knew the game was up some time back, but were waiting for a lead from Mr. Semple. They fully expected that when he came to Waihi recently he would have given them something tangible to go on. He did nothing, they allege, but hurl abuse at the police* the Government and the employers. This afternoon the police searched several strikers' dwellings in Bull Town, a suburb of Waihi, and discovered some gelingnite, explosive fuse, caps, cartridges, a revolver and a gun which were promptly removed to the police station, where there is already a collection of confiscated arms. Both Constable Wade and his assailant Evans, who are in the hospital, are improving. REPORT TO THE MINISTER. Wellington, Last Night. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, Minister of Justice, received a telegram from Waihi to-night as follows:—"Constable Wade continues to progress favourably. Things were very quiet here all day. A considerable'number of strikers have left here to-day, to seek employment elsewhere, and others are preparing to leave." Speaking to a Times-representa-tive the Minister said that he was sure that the latest development would mean an end of the whole trouble. Another week would see matters going along in the same way as before the strike. Ho could not say what proceedings would be taken against those who created the disturbance, whether strikers or workers, until he bad received full reports from the officers on the spot, and until he knew what the evidence was. Evidently the workers were strongly proyoked, and their blood was boiling owing to the shooting. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. POLTCY OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE HON. A. L. HERDMAN INTERVIEWED . AVellington, Last Night. Interviewed in regard to the latest developments at Waihi, the Hon A. L. Herdman < (Minister for Justice) said that no one regretted more than he did the misfortune which had befallen Constable Wade.

''The police at Waihi," the Minister continued, "arc all picked men, and have, despite insult and extreme provocation, performed their duties in a manner meriting the approval of all who respect law and order. A* the Minister in charge of the force, I cannot speak too highly of the way in which Mr. Commissioner Culle'n and his men have discharged an exceedingly difficult duty. Great discretion has been .used, yet great firmness has been shown. T am glad to be able to state that the latest information which ]' have shows that Constable Wade's injury is not likely to prove serious. I have given instructions that if necessary the best medical assistance available is to, be .obtained, and that everything is to be done to secure his comfr't

"iiiis mornings incident snomd be 10. object-lesson to the people of Hew Zealand. It shows to what extremes certain 1 unreasoning and misguided men will go in order to assert what they erroneously believe to be their rights. Every man In New Zealand has a right to follow a legitimate calling, and it has been, and it certainly wJ'-'i be, the policy of the Goyernment to see that in the exercise oi that right he is properly protected. W« are quite determined to preserve order, and to insist upon obedience of the law. The hoodlum and the hooligan will get ho sympathy from us.

"Had there been two hundred police* men at Waihi," Mr. Herdman went oi to remark, "the shooting of the constable could not have been averted. 1 have made it my business to see from the beginning of 'the trouble that a sufficient number of men were in Waihi, and I am advised to-day that no more are needed. Every day since the trouble arose I have been in close communication with Waihi. Nothing is done but I know about it immediately, thanks to the zeal of the police officers. Very little has been said by us. about our plana or movements, because to ensure success it was necessary that everything should be done without fuss and without publicity. I am sorry that this morning's proceedings should have again drawn public attention to a difficulty which I had hoped would have been setteld without further trouble. 'T believe that to-day's incident will sett e the Waihi trouble; There are men I in this community who seem to be prepared to «o to any length. The police are I usinsr, and will nse, every reasonable and [ intimate means to see that the law is carred o ut, and, citizens and the- protected, and you may d_ep.ii I npin it that the Government will give the police the best of assistance." "DASTARDLY OUTRAGE." THE SOCIALIST-ANARCHIST ELEMENT. «™ ~ , AucW and, November 12. The whole community will be deeply stirred by the dastardly outrage at Waihi, sa!d the Mayor of Auckland to-day. w^i Bl l ri T sed that » has come to Woodshed Indeed, knowing something of the methods and doctrines of the Soc-ialist-Anarchist elements in this counITLl T L I VV emarkable that Wood »>»« not b en shed ere novo It is a lesson to us. All workers, the vast majority of whom are gooo* fellows, must now realise the utter foolishness of following a few lawess agitators who fear neither God nor

"An awful responsibility rests linnn theso so-called Labor lenders. Tt , bev and they a one, who have stirred ip the men's passions ami caused the tragedy of to-day. I said six monthg g ™s I say again, that the Government must take steps to safeguard the peace of the commumty from these irresponsible featherheads. Anarchy must be put down with a strong hand." '