THE STRIKE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3613, 13 September 1890, Page 2

THE STRIKE.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. • BPEOIAL CONSTABLES SWORN ' ■ IN. ; • ; WELLINGTON ITEMS. THE CONSTABLES ON DUTY. ; RAILWAY EMPLOYEES. Weliington, Saturday." A lengthy debate took place in the House of; Representatives yesterday on the question of tlio dismissal ot thefour men by the .Railway Commissioners, tlio general opinion being that.the Commissioners were quite justified in their action.

In consequence of an information sworn by Captain Rose, : Chairman of tbo Harbour Board, that :he bad reasonable cause to apprehend rioting, some 200 persons were summoned to attend the Magistrate's Court at 2 p.m., to be swon in as special constables, At that hour accordingly the chamber wasorowded, the persons summoned jnoluding many of tht leading residents of the city. The R.M.,-after alluding at some length to the Btrike, administered the oatli to one" hundred and thirty-three" persons. '

As the Post Office olook struck 5 | last evening three Or four men, the 1 advance guard of the free. laborers; came down the wharf'and passed ilong the street secure in tho pro- j ectionof the. polico." These men . fere treated to a little hooting,, but ! 10 other demonstration; was ;made. loting, apparently, under the advice . f inspector Thomson, a small bod; . f laborers, representing all who m coming off-snmo of.them laving decided to sleep on ioard ateaiiiera—marched down ogether, and were followed, as bey passed the barrier, by the two quads of special constables in ndian file. This meant a comilete change of scene, and as the ibourers marohed along, keeping to he_ middle of the street, with the iolice in attendance, the" specials" a the rear, and a filo or two of leimanent militia men at eaoh side f the street, tha crowd followed, the fliole more like a part of some lageantthan a simple enforcement if "law and order" for the proteoion of a few individuals. As they eoved up Williß-street the fbotpatha fere'alive .with men, and at every rindow people were assembled to 'see the show." Here, and there, 00, warm oheerß and enthusiastic lapping of handsgreetedthe 'speoials. Svei-ything went on quietly enough di' a little way, but before the proession reached the Bank of New iealand ' corner it had become vident that there was' abroad an xcess of excitement which only leeded some slight inoident to prompt hem to physical activity, In front f the Empire Hotel this inoident iappened, A man in the crowd bad iokedup a stone, and one of the Vharf officials, foreseeing some vil intent, pounced upon him t once. Immediately a crowd 1 lathered, round, • and in a ery few_ seconds the street was looked with a dense mass of people, Jack came the police, who had gone n ahead, to break up the assemblage he .irresistible mounted men with hem. For a moment the crowd leaved, as it were, and stood ti| "to ts asßailiints; then it gave>way uddenly, and.as the oonstables rode long, clearing the way,,(a:.'roar .of beers was given them by the nlookers, while the passengers in an xpress whioh had been . blocked esponded heartily. At. a. meeting of Unionists at the

Exohange Hall last night the follov ing resolutions were carried "That thia meeting rejoices to bee of the starting of a New Zealand Ct operative Steamship Company, an pledges itself in every way possibl to render practical assistance to tk movement. _ That this meetin, protests against the tyrannioal aotiol of the Railway Commissioners ii dismissing men who have had th. oourage to stand true to the principle of Unionism. That tbia meetinj congratulates most heartily the die chargedemployaesfortkeircourageous attitude on behalf of labour, and further sympathises with them for their loss of position." • . Tho manufacturing hands in the employ of Messrs Turabull and Co, who went out with tlie Btoremen last week, have returned to tlioir work, The Union Company's officials stato that over 20 of the cooks and stewards who struck have returned to the service of the Company during the present week.

Chrisxohurou, September 12, A crowded meating m the Theatre Royal to-night, under the auspices of tho Trades <ind Labour Counoil, passed the following .resolutions "That this meeting enters it 8 strongest protest against the conduct of the Railway Commissioners in dismissing members of the Railway Servants' Executive for their official aotions, suoh proceedings being calculated to inoreasa the present disorganisation of tho trade of tl«? Colony,"

"That.this meeting deems i imperative that tho dismissed officials of the railway service should be reinstated, and calls upon the members of Parliament now assembled to exercise their undoubted rjght of criticising .the reoeijt • aotion of the Commissioners." •

this meeting considers the Railway Commissioners' action a direct attack ..upon the liberty of speech, aijd that it calls for emphatic protest from ali'seotions of the com* mupiky." " That iq view of the recent move ments in and out of Parliament antagonistic to the interest of labour this meeting asserts the necessity of immediate and concerted aotiou as regards the ensuing elections, and calls upon all who are qualified to at once register their names on the electoral rolls."