AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1917, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

ANTI-CONSCRIPTIONIST APPEAL. "HOW BUSINESS IS AFFECTED.'NEW ZEALAND "iAZETTE QUOTED. Received Dec. ID, U. 40 p.m. Sydney, Dee. 19. The final appeals of the anti-conserip-tionists include an advertisement: "How Conscription Affects Business," reproducing extract.; from the New Zealand Government Gazette of July 31, and list of non-esscniial trades and callings wherein no exemption is granted. •EXCITEMENT OVER CONSCRIPTION POLL. Sydney, Dee. 11). There is intense interest over to-mor-row's vote. Both sides have put their utmost into the campagin. To-day's papers are largely devoted to earnest final appeals to various sections. It is impossible to forecast the result. The general opinion is that, whichever way the vote goes, the margin will not be large. The hotels will be closed throughout to-morrow, which will be a public holiday. A regulation prohibits the posting or announcing of results in public places. On his return from Queensland Mr. Hughes gave a Sydney Morning Herald interviewer the following details of the JVarwiek incident: "It was a most disgraceful episode. In a long public career I have been subjected to many hostile demonstrations, but never before have I seen the authorities responsible for the preservation of law connive at disorder, and support it by their refusal to do their plain duty. It shows only too clearly the influences at woTk h-. the Queensland police. I notice in the press that Senior-Sergeant Kenny has endeavored to explain away liis gross neglect of duty. He endeavors to belittle tin incident. He say* that there was no disturbance, or nothing worth talking about. "No disturbance worth talking about? Is it nothing that the Prime Minister ofi the Commonwealth should be mobbed' and assaulted, and denied the right of addressing tho electors upon a question of life and death to Australia, which they are to decide bv their votes? "Sergeant Kenny has even the effrontery to pose as my saviour. He says that he appealed to the crowd to give ine a hearing. So he did, after he had stood passively by and by his attitude encouraged the lawless mob to assault and jostle me. It was not for him to ask for a fair hearing—that was the function of the chairman. Sergeant Kenny's duty was to enforce the law and to protect me from assault. But this he did not even attempt to do, and had it not been for the protection afforded me by civilians—and in paricular by a returned soldier—l have no hesitation whatever in sa.ying tnat I should have been most seriously assaulted. "An effort is being made to explain the incident as being caused by my inflammatory speech. This is a miserable and lying excuse for a cowardly act. I was struck before I had uttered one word. I was attacked \;he moment I left the train by a mob that had deliberately gathered for that very purpose. The senior-sergeant was present, and must have known what their intentions [Were. Yet 1 was not protected. Under the Constitution of the Commonwealth the police are sworn to enforce Commonwealth as well as State laws. Both i State aiid Commonwealth laws were trampled under foot by this mob, and Senior-Sergeant Kenny stood by and did nothing. After the meeting i, as At-torney-General, demanded the arrest of the men who had attacked mo. But this he refused to do, stating that lie recognised only State taws. Is rfc surprising

that in the circumstances T should have asked Mr. Ryan to suspend such a man from an office which he has disgraced? But Mr. Ryan will not do so. "It is quite clear," concluded Mr. Hughes, "that the action of the Ryan Government in this matter is on allfours with their general attitude. They

place State police in Government buildings to resist Commonwealth officers. They resist the lawful warrants of the Commonwealth by force. The Queensland Government defy or ignore the Commonwealth laws; they encourage their police to stand passively by while the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth is assaulted. And in their turn, Sinn Fein and I.W.W. control the Queensland Govermaent and ignore all laws save those wliich serve their purpose, "But the Commonwealth Government is responsible for Australia's conduct during this war, and will see that its laws arc obeyed. And if the Goycrnment and police of Queensland will not do their duty, the Commonwealth Government will create it* own police and enforce the law itself."

The Premier ef Queensland, Mr. Ryan, also issued a statement with regard to the iicident at Warwick, reperts of which have, he says, been exaggerated. "The QueeHsland Government will take all necessary steps to preserve peace and order in the community," said Mr. Ryan. •'Arrangements have already been made with the object of having the occurrence aT Warwick thoroughly investigated. I

have before me a, memorandum from the Commisioner of Police to the Home Secretary, in which ho says the whole of the circumstances in the occurrence during the Prime Minister's visit to Warwick will be carefully enquired into, and any action which may be called for will be ta.kon. 'I have not,' proceeds the Commissioner, 'complied with the Prime Minister's request to suspend Senior-Ser-geant Kenny, ana with all respect to tho Right Honorable gentleman in his high office, I must point out that I also owe a -duty to the senior-sergeant, and in view of ««rtain features of the case communicated to me, T did not feel justified in taking drastic action for the suspension of the latter.'"