BLOODY BATTLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 145, 1 April 1948, Page 5

BLOODY BATTLE

Pickets and Police

STOCK EXCHANGE STRIKE (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright). NEW YORK, March 30. A bloody and furious battle between pickets and police raged for 15 minutes in Wali Street to. day after pickets sprawled on the footpath in fro.nt of the Stock Exchange building to form a human barricade against non-strikers. The fracas started when the striking financial workers and husky seamen who are supporting the strike began their second day’s picketing of the Stock Exchange. With clubs swinging the police tried to clear a path to the Exchange doors, but the pickets—who included several women —flung themselves to the ground. Amid the screams of the women the police tried to drag them to their feet. Fists flew, police batons whirled and pickets and police wrestled on the street. Riot squads rushed to the scene, roped off Wall Street and commandeered private telephones for police use. After 15 minutes police bundled 35 struggling pickets, some blood-spatter-ed, into Black Marias. Ten pickets and two policemen were injured. Three of the injured, including a detective with his scalp so severely gashed that it needed 11 stitches, were sent to hospital. Tense Hush There was a tense hush all day in Wall Street as mounted police patrolled in close formation. The union leaders later issued statements charging the police with “brutal, sadistic conduct.” Mr J. Lewis Hutchings, secretary of the striking United Financial Employees Union, declared “if they want blood they will get blood, and it won’t all be ours.” Mr Emil Schram, president of the Stock Exchange, said: “I deeply regret that a x’iot occurred. The Exchange will take every precaution, to meet the situation peaceably.” The strikers want weekly wage increases of nine to 15 dollars and have the Exchange’s offer of rises of three to five dollars. Two seamen’s unions are supporting the striking stock exchange workers. The police said that most of those arrested were seamen. Scene at Harvard Club There was a clash between police and pickets to-day outside the exclusive Harvard Club, where 120 kitchen and diningroom employees are on strike. The trouble began when police orders that only three pickets at a time could parade outside the club were disregarded and the strikers began assembling en masse carrying placards. There was a 15 minute melee when the police began pushing the strikers off the pavement. Union placards were torn and leaflets strewn over the road. Pickets swung their fists and the police their batffis, but nobody was hurt. The struggle ended when police reinforcements arrived. The strikers are demanding 10 per cent wage increase.

BUSINESS AS USUAL NO FURTHER VIOLENCE REPORTED/ (Rec. 11.0 a.m.) NEW YORK, Mar. 31. A picket line, estimated at about 2000, started walking around the stock exchange early this morning, and large numbers, of policemen were also on hand. * , However, the Exchange opened for business as usual, and there was no violence on the picket line. It is rumoured that the union will call a strike to-day of its members in 28 brokerage houses.