A ROWDY MEETING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 163, 9 January 1914, Page 5

A ROWDY MEETING.

I IN A WELLINGTON WHARF SHED, | CLAMOROUS WATERSIDERB. . By Telegraph— Press Association. Wellington, Last Night The meeting of the new wharf laborunion which was to hare been held during the dinner-hour to-day hod to ba adjourned owing to the uproar created by the men who went on strike. .TW meeting was to have been merely a formal one to authorise the president and secretary to sign accounts, and had been called lor 12.30 p.m. Soon alter midday, however, before any arrangement* had been made for guarding the doors t» permit only bona-fide member® of the union into the "donkey-rootHi" large crowds of men, mostly ex-strikers/com-: inenced to flock into the building; -Sjwjfc there were between 000 and 700 of tfcfljni present. r3|! The appearance of the executive ccrs of the union was the signal for a great deal of disturbance, and insulting remarks were freely bandied about by the men who had assembled. * . ■ Mr .1. Slwnly, the president, who, ■fflih the other officials, had mounted the platform, succeeded in making himself heard, and announced that as it was impossible* to l<'ll who had membership hooks and ' who had not, the meeting would bo adjourned sine die. Hie announcement wa3 received with groans and liooti, in- • termingled with cheering. Jlr P. Curtice, president of the old-union, apnealoi ' for order, and requested that as the ' officials were not kiuvrn to the men)- , hers, a meeting should be held on Sunday, bo that they could make themselves known. The proceedings, which only lasted a few minutes, were decidedly rowdy, anil when the executive officers had taken their departure several of the ex-strlkew endeavoured to speak and move various resolutions oi condemnation, Exception was taken to the fact that four pollee constables were present, and a clamorouff protest was made. After further din nnd noiso, the assemblage dispersed, many of the men having to resume work at 1 p.m. After the meeting the executive of <th'« union made the following official statement lo a reporter:—"lii the ftrat place; the meeting was advertised for ■ 12.35 p.m., and the X shed being closed the executive applied to the Harbor Hoard, for permission to hold the meeting thex*.. This permission was granted by the' Hoard, with the proviso that order was maintained and that no dttmaup'iru 1 done. The executive arrived at 12.25 p.m., with the full intention of admit-' iing members to the meeting, frftt WW surprised to find that some psrsori; Without the authority of the exeriitivo, had seen fit to opea u- th" room and t:> permit all and sundry to enter, without in'l- - wnv showing or proving whether or: not tliev \rara members of .tte union.' When the execiltiv" lilteved xhp room there were (!;iQ or TOO nuyvjiWoMy (Oil-, gregated thi;rc, and,it wes unite t-nt that a number of tNVm were'not# Memb:>n of the union. In fact, Bremen of the steaujera.. wpr*-present. • Th.> ex-.-euiive, then had c .tj'onsjjjtntlotu,' and decided, in the circitirikVilnWsfTO lourn, and tuis intention was bv the president inniil gr<uiii« and Tlio executive 'VNiVrttarlv wifjfni .\!oi rights in. taking, this step, for'agwm as the officials entered, the iociu apparent that i> hostile ciwwd 'had stsmbled and that the inert «"ejr« out .ffll linnd. Further, it would-have li'tinct brcaeh of the Tuarantet'tn'jEbe Harbor Board that order would bff'tnfttilJained," Should a meetimr lie snnday it will not be officially totalised bv the executive, i ■■ I " '■