ALLEGED SEDITIOUS STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1917, Page 2

ALLEGED SEDITIOUS STRIKE.

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE, By Telegraph.—Press Association, Wellington, Oct. 3. The hearing of the charge against Young, for having incited a seditious' strike, was continued to-day. After a number of witnesses for the prosecution had been heard, the defendant said, lie wished to call Mr. Russell, Minister for Marine, and the Court adjourned for the Minister, who was communicated with, but Mr. Russell failed to appear, and his AVorship said he could not compel him, as he was free from judicial process, and further, as a Minister of the Crown he could refuse to give any official in/formation. Defendant, addressing the Court, said ' it would be contended that no strike existed, and if a breach of the War Regu-, lations had been committed it was the soditious lock out. Until June last two men in watch were worked, but later one man only was put on the watch. From June 1 to the time the trouble occurred, the Union was pestered with, threats, and it was only by the exercise of-tact that trouble was stayed off. flic Orown had failed to prove the men had discontinued their employment. As a practical seaman he said that no ship was safe at sea with only one man on the watch. Before leaving for Auckland, just prior to the trouble, he had given Howell documents to communicate to the men on the ships, and it seemed that eome of them had misunderstood it. The union had never considered the question of two men in the watch. As to the evidence adduced by the crown to the effect that he declined to refer the matters in dispute to the Court of Arbitration, he said what he declined to do was .to go to the Court for an interpretation. What the union intended te do was to take proceedings against the shipowners for a breach of the agreement, so as to get an order of the Court. In plac- ' ing the matters before the Minister of i Marine on March 29, he incidentally re- | marked that some vessels were sailing I with one man in the deck watch, and | some of these vessels were licensed to i carry passengers. The Minister expressed surprise, and said he would cause in-. j quiries to be made with a view to effectr ing a remedy. That was what he wantI ed to ask the Minister about if the Minister had come to the Court.

Defendant called George Thomas Nation, a member of the executive of the union, who said that the question of the I number of men in the watch was never I raised at the, session of the executive in August. The men came out I on their own account, and the union had I not considered the matter , since the trouble arose. Defendant entered the witness box and said he wished to repeat his evidence in Howell's case. Cross-examined by Mr. Maeasscy, he said that while in Auckland he did not endeavor to get the men on the coastal boats there to come out. Judgment will be given to-morrow. STRIKE LEADERS SENT TO GAOL. Wellington, October 4. W. T. Young (secretary) and Fred- ,, crick Howell (assisstant secretary) of the Seamen's Union, were sentenced today to three months' imprisonment for inciting a seditious strike of coastal seamen. Security for an appeal was fixed. The Magistrate disagreed with Young's contention that it was a seditious lockout ajid not a strike. He said it was idle to contend that the crews came out simultaneously without concerted action in the union behind the strike. Young's action showed that he approved and assisted the attitude of the union. Young took part in inciting the strike although he succeeded in keeping in the background.