ESCORT OF PICKETS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14810, 30 October 1913, Page 8

ESCORT OF PICKETS.

(srr.cJ\h to "the i*ress.") WELLINGTON, October 29. Just beforo 11.30 to-night some excitement was caused by the arrival of a scoro or more of special constables from the country. They were met at the station by a dozen mounted constables and escorted to tho Lambton quay police station. _ „ This march was far from being dull. With the special cycle picket organisations, the strikers soon heard of the arrival of the men, and rallied round immediately. Fortunately their numbers wero small, and their activity was confined chiefly to hovering .on the flanks of tho "specials" and calling out opprobrious and vile epithets. Half-a-dozen of the mounted men at the rear sufficed, however, to keep tho unsavoury* escort in a disintegrated condition, so that verbal threats alone passed. When tlio men were safely lodged*in the polico station, the mob came to a halt and conversed excitedly within itself. Some loud-voiced advisers stated that they would havo a good "go" at them in the morning. They could not do much, they said, against those mounted men with their limited numbers, but in the morning there would bo 3000 or 4000 men on the wharves, and they would see. It is fully expected, that the morrow will see some interesting developments. Tho importation of special constables augurs the maturing of plans for the working of the boats. When that comes about —to-morrow or a littlo later—the struggle will begin in deadly earnest.