A LIVELY DEPUTATION.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 111, 10 May 1919, Page 8

A LIVELY DEPUTATION.

MINISTERS km WATERSIDERS.

THE WAR REGULATIONS. DEMAND FOR KEPEAL. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. Over a thousand watersidcrs constituted a lively deputation to the ilovernment demanding the repeal of the War Regulations. The Miuislers present wore Sir .Tames Allen, the lion. A. M. Myers, and Sir Wm. Fraser. Five speakers denounced tho regulations under which men were excluded from the wharf wit'iout charges being made to them, and (be imprisoning of an elderly watersider, \Vm. Parker, for publishing a pamphlet advocating the go-slow policy. The speakers declared that as the enemy black list was suspended the wo-ter-sidem should be equally relieved from interference with liberty of speech and the right to work on the wharf. The Ministers were warned of the danger of stopping free speech, Sir .Limes Allen replied that some union ollicers were shown confidentially the reasons why a certain man was excluded from tho wharf. He had a collection of cartridges, a lead-weighted baton. a book on field artillery, an I.W.W. membership card, and anarchist literature in his lodgings. Sir Jas. Allen deprecated the creation ot class hostility and the go-slow policy. Many of his arguments were greeted with hostile interruption or laughter. Showing the necessity for regulations safeguarding ships, he said that emery or carborundum was secretly placed in a steamer's cylinders in Wellington, which would

"dl-paceyltshnllu cmwfyp cmfwyp mcc have rendered the vessel helpless after a few days at sen. He invited the wateraiders to specifically state the regulations they desired to repeal, as .there were many they would approve, which, he quoted amid cries of "Play fair, read the lot."

Mr. Roberts, president of the New Zeahind Watersiders' Federation, urged the Minister to make the safeguarding of shipping subject to civil law. "We want," he said, "to be protected from military martinets, and are driving some of our members to the point of revolution."

Sir Jas. Allen: T rcßent that statement. They don't want to do such a thing. Mr. Myers declared his satisfaction at the men meeting the Ministers. It was the beginning of a new era, when two parties discussed differences together. Rightly or wrongly the Government brought in the War Regulations. He did not shirk his personal responsibility, and it was for the people to decide at the forthcoming elections. Scores of Voices: When will thnt lie? The Minister endeavoured to proceed amid impatient cries of "When?" "In a very few months," he replied. Loud hurrahs followed. Mr. Myers supported Sir Jas. Allen's condemnation of the go-slow policy, and declared that he was much concerned over the three-quarters of a million tons shortage of the New Zealand coal supply. The Raranga was at the wharf with coal, U thousand tons of which was allocated to domestic use. The watersiders had their meeting tiiat morning, and not a. ton came out of the ship. (Loud laughter.)

Mr. Glover, president of tho Wellington watersiders. declared that the deputation was unable to thank the Ministers for the information, because they gave none. The Government itself ought to be arrested as the worst- followers of the go-slow policy. (Cheers.) The two hours' proceedings were full of interrupptions, despite frequent appeals for a quiet hearing. The. crowd packed in the old Parliamentary chamber was so large as to be uncontrollable from the chair.