THE STRIKE IN NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Post, Volume XL, Issue 63, 13 September 1890, Page 2

THE STRIKE IN NEW ZEALAND.

THE HARBOUE BOARD'S FREE LABOURERS. PRECAUTION!* FOR THEIR PROTECTioff. YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. It waa generally oxpected that another attempt to disturb the peace would be made when the free laborers »v the employ of the Harbour Board ceased work yestsrday afternoon, and precautions were accordingly taken by tho authorities to maintain law and order. The fact that a largo number of special ooß9taMen had been sworn-in daring tho day, was knb'ftn in most people in tho city, and it is absolutely certain Mitt a largo section of the mass of human beintfi) fasembled outside tbo barrier on tho wharf last evening, was oompoaed entirely of persons from offices and factories, who simply congregated there for the purpose of seemg 1 how the non-Unionists iv the servioe of the Harbour Board would fare. The speoial constables assembled on the wharf at 4 o'olook with their batons and badges, end most of them were treated to a little chaff as they wended their way to ;he rendezvous. A portion of one of the Sevan companies paraded on Customhoasoortay, and ma'rch.ed on the wharf in quite 1 soldierly minuet, their movements exciting the attention of eVery dpeocatoi'j eomo of whom indulged iv a little oheentfflf. Tho free labourers wero not to knock off work until 5 o'clook, and the spooial constables were drawn up in companies for fully half an hour. Some of the sergeants put their squads through a little drill, and the wholo of them called over tho rolls to ascertain whether every man was present. About 40 of the police, under Inspector Thomson and Sorgb.-Major Ramsay, were on duty from an early hour in tho afternoon, but ( theic duties were very light until after 4 o'clock. The crowd outside tho barrier soon swelled, and when S o'clock arrivod the number cotild not have been less than 3000, the greater proportion of tbeae, an we have already observed, being composed of people, in no wise concerned^ia tho htcike, who hafl merely assembled out of cariosity. About half-past 4 several of the oompanios of special constables were marched off the wharf throngh an optming made by the regular police, and were Baluted with ohoers mingled with Borne little hooting. One detatchment was eentj up to Thorndon, another was poßted near tho Qooidental Hotel on Lambton • quay, a third was stationed between tbo General Post Office and the Pier Hotel, while two others were marohed up Willis and Cuba strcetß and were kept there for somo timo, as it wan arranged that the free labourers who resided at Te Aro and Newtown should go along those thoroughfares on their way to their homes. Shortly boforo 5 o'clock several foot polico and Mountod Constables Hooper, May, Healy, and J. Day arrived on tho scene, and the quartette of horsemen rendered valuable service in moving the crowd back from the barrier, an order having been givon that the wharf should be cleared. The foot police drew their butons as an evidence that they wero not to bo trifled witb, but the work of shifting the epeotatoi'B was not a particularly arduous one, the majority of them good-naturedly moving baok when ordered to do so. Mounted Constable Hoopor; who was brought down from Masterton for ddty In iho city during* tho present strike, and who in former yeaVs was connected with a oradk cavalry regiment ro England, was particularly successful in mov>Dg the crowd. Backing his horse — a very fine looking animal by tho way — amongst the people he simply pressed baok thoeo wbo wore not inolino to budge, and the way in which both he and his steed assisted in the operation was the subject of general admiration. Shortly before 5 o'olook the shore end of the wharf was clear of tho crowd, and everyone patiently waited until tho Post Office clock strnck tho hour. The clock had hardly struok when a freo labourer oamo along, and made his way off the wharf via the approach at tho foot of Brandon-street. His movements woro unobserved, apparently, and he prooeeded to bin home without interruption. Four or five youths, who had been earning sorao pooket money by workiDg on board tbo Union Company's vessels, were not afraid of passing beford the croWd, and marched throngh tho liiteß formed by the police with the utmost nonchalance. After them dame throe or four ffed labourers, who were subjected to a little hissing and hooting, but who managed to roach thoir homes withctat interruption. < A few momenta subsequently the remainder of tho Don-Union hands marched off the_ wharf in a body, two companies of special constables in Indian file bringing up the rear. On cither side of tho free labourera was a file of the Permanent Artillery, whilst the mounted constables and the foot police, together with a number of tho Harbour Board's tally clerks, were scattered about. The crowd surged round tho boycotted men, but there did not seem to* bo any attempt to molest them, and as the vast i assemblage moved up Customhouse-street one could hardly realiEo the gravity of the situation. When the frro labourers were opposite Mr. D. T. Stuart's office one of the special constables was pushed along by a' rough-looking fellow, and a regular block ocourred in consequence df the limb of the law making an effort to effect a rescue. Another "Bpeoial," however, poured oil on the troubled waters, and what might have beon a serious breaoh of the peace was averted. Willis-street, from the Evitnino Post office to the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel corner, was at ono time a moss .of human beings— in faot, it is doubtful whether it ever presented a more animated appaaranoe. Every upstairs window along tho thoroughfare was thrown open and filled with sightsoars, while orery other point of vantage was also occupied. As tho mounted constables carao along they wci'e greeted with cheers, and the special constables also carao in for a Biinilar demonstration. Tho free labourers and their escort did not ajlow the grass to grow under their feot, and the crowd who followed found it necessary to step it out in order to koop np with thorn. On passing tho Empiro Hotel an incident oocurred which created Bomo little oommotion. An individual was observed coming along tho pavement with a stone in his hand, and as ouo of the speoial constables of tho Harbour Board believed that some mischief was intended, he pounced upon tho man. A crowd, of courßO, oollcoted, and a regnlar block oocurred. A number of the foot polico, together with a couple of mountod men, wero brought back to disperse the assemblage, and after some littlo diffioulty they were successful in their effort. There was at first a disposition on the part of some of the crowd to resist any interference. A good deal of pushing was indul&od in, and a newspaper man and one or two others were nearly knocked through a shop window,' but tho prompt and firm action on tho part of tho guardians of the peace won the day, and afi the crowd was dispersed a number of spectators on tho other side of the street gave vent to thoir feelings of admiration by cheering and clapping. When the main body reached the Duke of Edinburgh corner most of the free labourers dropped into tho orowd, and only three remained, and these were escorted home by. special oonstables and foot police, who were followed pretty well all the way by a number of people, moßt of them no doubt out of mere curiosity. The majority of the crowd remained at the junotion of Willis-street with Manners -street quite perplexed as to which way tho free labourers had gone, and the street was completely blooked for a timo. Vebioles of all descriptions were unable to get along, and it was only after considerable diffioulty that the polioe were able to olear the thoroughfare sufficiently to allow them to pass. Amongst the multitude was an individual who asserted that his and others' tnrn would not be lonar in coming. His meaning was evident, and it ia probable thatifDeteotivoKirby bad not given a little advice, a breaoh of the peace might have been occasioned. The force of whatever the officer said was evidently reoogn'ised, as the man was not long in moving away. By a quarter to 6 all the orowd had dispersed, and nearly all the police returned to the station. The speoial oonstables subsequently marched baok to the wharf and were dismiassed after being told to assemble again at a quarter to 5 this evening. The behaviour of the crowd was very orderly throughout. So far as we could ascertain, ao attempt was made to molest the free labourers, and although a littlo friction was occasionally caused, there was nothing to justify its being said that the people were not well behaved. In fact, the proceedings were not at all of the rowdy character of those on the previous evening. Very few Unionists were present, and we understand that an explanation of this ciroumetance is that the strikers were requested previously by their leaders to refrain from being anywhore near the principal thoroughfares when the free labourers wero going homo. The total strength of yesterday's police was 197, made up as follows .- — Foot police, 40 ; mounted men, 4 ; deteotives, 2 ; special constables, 133; permanent militia, 18. We understand that the remainder of the Permanent Artillery paraded at Mount Cook Barracks between -i and 6 in case their services were required. A report has gained ourrenoy that daring the march along Willis-street one of the upstairs windows in Mr. Boeddingbaus' premises was deliberately smashed. This is not correct. A crash certainly oocurred, but the damage was done through the shaking caused by the mass of people who were passing the shop. The police had reason to believe that 6omo of the free labourers would be interfered with at their homes last night, and in order to prevent molestation constables were told off to patrol in the yioinity of the houses iv which the non-Unionists lived. The biggest and strongest men in the force wero Belected and half of them were in plain clothes. None of the labourers were, however, interfered with.