FURTHER DETAILS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10549, 3 February 1912, Page 5

FURTHER DETAILS.

POLICE', COMMISSIONER -MAJJL-o ;■/! ■'■•'■ ■'■^ : ?'}W;:rX-[■:■■.; :■/;:: ■:^ ■;■_.•/•. . ( . . ■ "•. VAIN AUmAh "tFtHE PREMIER/] ((Received Last Night, 10.10 o'clock)! February 2. , During the height of the, Police* Commissioner was directing the operations. ] striker grabbed him by the leg and dragged him from has horse. The Commissioner, who was unhurt, quiickly re-mounted. His assailant escaped. Three hundred' police (mounted and foot), with special constables, \ were detailed to prevent the prooes-' sion.

When the crowd attempted to march into Market Square they- were' narred by thepolice* fiS,ty:..jn;. the; front rank "carrying"piffles wdtih' fized bayonets. '. ~ , ■■■""„, '.; { \ ■ Though the larger; portion of thei crowd dispersed, several -hundreds, disappointed and angry, persisted" in I 'their efforts to induce the police to allow them ( to pass. The Union leaders tugceeded in quietening them. The police showed great tact and patience. •Att'ter the crowd • was dispersed, it gathered in a side Street, showing much more determination in the second attemipt t<o form a procession. | The police, charged..three times be-' I fore they succeeded in clearing the danger zone. They met with consider able- resistance. • ' .'".".'..

' Sticks-'and, stones were freely used.

Afterwards the police paraded themain streets, dispersing any signs of a gathering. Unionists and rton-unionifits alike ■were compelled to scatter 1 Hundred* 'watched the -proceedings from the balconies/ cheering and 'hooting. (Besides' "tlie police eitgaged, large idetackments were-held in reserve. The authorities announce that order wall be.kept'at.all costs. Every attempt at lawlessness will ibe rigorously supressed. A. deputation of Labour members ('chis afternoon asked the Premier to call Parliament together to, try and settle the strike, also to allow the (processions.

The Premier replied that until law iand order were restoreu he could do •nothing. He criticised , the , : strike headers holding' up supplies,."and added: "If the Government cannot ensure the safety of the people, some other Government will have todo it."