THE RAND STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1922, Page 5

THE RAND STRIKE.

INDEMNITY BILL DEBATE. GENERAL SMUTS’ REPLY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Capetown, April 23. In the Assembly General Smuts, replying on the Indemnity Bill debate in a vigorous fighting speech, said the Commission was more necessary than ever, because, owing to the mine-own-ers’ victory there was a danger of the employers refusing to take account of the voice of organised Labor. The Government could not countenance tyranny on either side. While welcoming the fullest inquiry by the commission he acknowledged that some irregularities were inevitable, such as those the Opposition had exploited to an extreme, though the findings at the preliminary inquiries gainsaid their allegations. q’he Government did not attribute the blame for the upheaval to the Jews, .and did not intend to administer the immigration laws in a sense hostile towards Jewish immigrants. He expressed the greatest contempt lor Labor legislators who led the strikers deeper into the mire, while Messrs. Tielman and Ross were making the Nationalists a party of workers and peasants. The country should realise this danger. . The Minister or the Interior announced that the Government intended to compensate persons engaged in military operations who were ‘ n the recent disturbances on the Rand, also to appoint a committee to ueal with claims for damages caused through military operations to property belonging to persons not concerned in the disturban After an all-night session, the second reading of the Indemnity Bill was cairjed bxJje