INTIMIDATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 268, 11 November 1922, Page 13

INTIMIDATION.

THE SEAMEN'S SECRETARY COITVTCTED. TBE ARAHTKA TROUBLE. •The hearing of tlip case was concluded yesterday in «-hi,-h Tlioma* Frederick inderson. secretary of the Auckland branch of the S,.amon', Inion. wa* charged with haviti." on September 26, wrongi'tiliy »"'» without lejml authority, i intimidated Keith Bi'tridgp and Law-1 react Bevi>. »vl, a »-.ew to compelling themVi abstain from travelling on tho | «t<amei Arahura from Auckland to Git. borne, which they had n legal right to Evidence given last wppk showed that i tore was trm.Me. through the firrn.cn oi the Arahura nfusiii).' m fail while I cix men engaged tor sen k-p mil the steamer Bn-ien Powell, r inning out : o f Gisbornc. »ere on hoard, it beinp j held that thP men were going to a "black ,, ship at rate? which w*tp not | union wage-. Bevis declared That He and Betridge were ndwpd by Anderson to leave the ship and tlint if they did not go ashore they would be put adhere. Yesterday Keith Bctricige gave evidence that Anderson came to hi.ru on the Arahura and told him the ship would 1 D ot sail *** the Baden Powell men were on board. Anderson then spoke to the firemen on the wharf and some of the firemen joined Anderson in telling three of the Baden Powpll's crew that they -would he put off the Arahura if they did not go themselves. Tho three men got their batrs and left the Ship as they were afraid of being put off. as threatened. Anderson told them that they were all -black." Witness | eaid he was not a unionist. He was afraid of, violence from Anderson at the time. Minchin Rudd. assistant-manager of the Union Steam Ship Co.. said An- . derson informed him on the wharf that he had instructed the firemen not to sail with the crew of the Baden Powell and declared that he would accept full responsibility. ■ Mr. Holmden, for the defence, submitted there was no evidence of intimi- ■ dation. The defendant had received a message at his office that there wae tronble on the Arahura and that the Union Compa.ny wished him to try and settle it. He went down to the Arahura and was informed by the firemen, : who had left the ship and were asi eemhled on the wharf, that they would not eail with the Baden Powell men. He then informed Captain Dryden that i '' there was no possibility of sailing with these men. Defendant had made it plain to Mr. Rudd that the temper of the men was such on this matter that • there was no chance of getting the Arahura away with the Baden Powell : men oh board. Thinking the Baden Powell men might not know the situai tion, he told them the ship they had '■ been engaged to join was "black"' and ' the men then brought fheir kite on deck. Then he told the firemen they i eonld come on board apain as the \ men objected to were leaving. It wae I flatly denied that the Baden Powell \ men were told to go off or they would ibe put off, and there had beeif no ' threats. Anderson advised the men to : leave a* they were only delaying the \ ship, for the firemen were 'absolutely (, determined not to sail while they were I on board. -;' Defendant gave'evidence to the above I effect. He denied telling the men tftey I were '-black" or having used any threats « whatever, but admitted having told Mr. i Rudd he would accept responsibility for j the Tiold-up. t Mr. Poyuton. S.M., said that al- '' though there was a conflict of evidence 1 it was clear that Anderson had ordered j the men off the Arahura. In the Magie- | trate's opinion it wa-s a case of intimi- : dation, and it was a serious thing to ' put a man off a boat or to tell him ! he would have to go or be put off. ' j Th» was the first case of the kind, 5 however, and he would not deal too ' lirshly with the defendant. No doubt I 1 it was' very annoying for unionists to ■we men -'"scabbing" or "blacklegging."' ; as they called it, but threats must not ■ lie used to intimidate -them. 'A fine of £5 was imposed, -wibh £8 ; 19/3 costs. Security for appeal -wae ftxed at £15, plue coste.