THE MOKOIA STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1920, Page 5

THE MOKOIA STRIKE.

ECHO IN THE COURT. APPEAL AGAINST CONVICTION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A sequel to the trouble on the ferry steamer Mokoia on July 12, when certain members of the crew refused to sail if Sir George Clifford was a passenger, was the prosecution of the men concerned in the Magistrate's Court to-day, the Mokoia being now in port here. The department claimed a penalty of £lO from each man who was charged with becoming a party to the strike. Mr. Bailey, of Wellington, outlined the facts of the case, and evidence was given by the master and the chief engineer of the Mokoia. The defence was that there was no evidence that any of the defendants were engaged to work on the shin, or did work on it as firemen. It was allowed that they had taken part in a strike, but no orders had boon disobeyed, and the Statute did no: say a threat to strike constituted a strike. 'fhe magistrate held that a strike had taken place, and that he must convict. Counsel for the defendants intimated that there would be an appeal, and the case was then adjourned till to-morrow on the question of penalties.

be reduced, and he would vote against the amendment. Mr. Wilford 3aid the real weakness in our defence system <was the fact that the Minister was a territorial officer. What was needed more than anything else was a civilian mind dealing with military problems. Mr. Howard contended that a great deal of the money spent on military defence should'be diverted to naval defence, which must be our first line. Our military system was lop-sided. At one end we had a man With a brass hat and a big salary, and at the other end we had a boy who often had not sufficient food at home to build up his strength of body. Such a system could not be a success. Mr. Masters complained that the military salaries were often higher than the education salaries. Mr. Massey remarked that the Government wa3 calling applications for a head of the Education Department at £1250 per annum. PAY CONDITIONS. Mr. McCombs urged that the lower ranks should get a living wage." The Minister pointed out that single men started at 10s a day, and, in addition, received housing, fuel, and light free, with increased pay of a penny per day for every year of service. The Defence Depatment was the only one that provided an automatic increase in this way. Mr. Howard contended that nothing should be done during a boy's school years to interfere with his training for industrial purposes by insisting on compulsory military training. Mr. Atmore stressed the necessity of having as head of the Defence Department a civilian. Mr. Holland said his objection was not to the officers or anyone personally, but to the system. Now the war was over there might be some indication of a reduction in defence expenditure, yet compared with 1914 we now had 400 less personnel, while the expenditure had gone up by £50,000.

NEW DISTRICTS. The Minister, replying to Mr. Sidey, said it was proposed to divide the country into three military districts under the new defence scheme, two in the North Island and one in the South Island, as a means towards securing a reduction of expense. He mentioned nlso that the cadet scheme would be carried on to the age of eighteen in two sectionß, the first for' physical training and the second for military instruction. This would "be followed by the annual camp, the duration, of which had not yet been decided. At 11.35 p.m. a division on Mr. Holland's amendment was defeated by 43 votes to 9. s The wool* class wft» th«n pasted.