South African Strike

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 185, 4 February 1914, Page 5

South African Strike

THE INDEMNITY BILL. HEAD A FIRST TIME. CIIESSWELL'S AMENDMENT DEFEATED. liy Cable —Press Association—Copyright Capetown, February 2.

The galleries were crowded and the i louse showed excitement when, the Speaker disallowd the Labor motion for an adjournment, with a view to instructing the Government to intercept the Urogeni. Mr. Smuts moved for leave to introduce the Indemnity ISill.

Sir Thomas Smartt, Leader of the Opposition, said he did not desire to oppose the motion, because it was tlie Government's "duty to maintain law and order at all hazards, but Mr. Smuts Should first have explained his reasons for martial law and his actions thereunder.

Mr. Cresswell's amendment, which was equivalent to a vote of censure, was accepted. Only the Labor members supported it. The Bill was r&td a iirst time by similar majority. Mr. Cresswell, with the deported men's advocates, tried toiutercept the. Umgeni with a tug off Capetown, in order to 1 cfblige the captain to release !he men, but the tug was two hours late. Elaborate precautions had been taken to sescue the deported men if they managed to escape overboard. RABID ACCUSATION'S. ATTITUDE OF POLITICAL PARTIES. Received 3, 10.50 p.m. Capetown, February 3. Cresswell argued that not a single act j liail been committed by the strikers j which justified martial law. lie added that Botha and his colleagues were real j criminals. They were plotters who used I •violence, and were guilty of brigandage, j He pleaded with Parliament to protect ! the liberty of the subject. | Andrews charges the burghers with I I>eing totally undisciplined, and having . i'esorted to violence, laying the sjambok . on unoffending people. Skeets said the movement was not Crushed, and he predicted a revoultion, when the weapons would be on the -side of the revolutionaries and not of the Government. The Opposition are awaiting Smuts' defence, while the Government refused 7 'to be drawn into a debate until the I : second reading on Wednesday. I The Bill charges the deporteds with 1 creating unrest, fomenting a strike, and inciting the wage-earners to unlawfully "leave work. The Senate decided to wait for the - Government's statement before discuss- ; "ing the feasom Tor' martial law. (