SWORN IN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 106, 31 October 1913, Page 8

SWORN IN

CALL FOR SPECIALS WELL RESPONDED TO BATONS DISTRIBUTED. { There was a ready response yesterday to -the call for special constables, who ;were sworn in at the Town Hall. A reImarkable feature was the manner in wnich the strictest secrecy had been observed, and although the staircase pasisages and lobbies, m the large building ,were over-run with "specials" hardly a striker was to be seen at that stage outside. The police officers in charge were Com- ■ missioner Cullen and Police-Inspector. cHeiidrey, and there was a good muster W£ police constables' and detectives. A. 'ffaoog joj. mwnted^poostjAleßi

armed with batons and service revolvers was in readiness by the band ! rotunda for. possible developments. The [ task of swearing-in the new guardians of the law took something like a couple of hours. The oath they swore was as fol- ■ lows : — "1,~ , do -swear that I will well ' and truly serVe our Sovereign Lord the King in the office of special constable at Wellnigton and the neighbourhood thereof, without favour or affection, malice or ill will, and that I will to the best of my power cause the • peace to be kept and preserved, and prevent all offences against the persons . and properties of His Majesty's subjects, and that while I continue to hold the said office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law. So help me God." (30th October, 1913.) After the ceremony was finished the"specials" made their way to the Concert Chamber, where close on four hundred I were soon assembled. Here they were i formed into squads under leaders — the ! Thorndon squad, the, Oriental Bay squad, and so on. All classes of the community were represented among the volunteers — business men, clerks, farmers, athletes, and students, and taken all round they looked as though in a rough and tumble they would be able to give a good account of themselves.' Commanders of squads were appointed as follow : — Wellington North district, Colonel Courtney ; Wellington-terrace and Kelburne, Mr. H. H. Ostler; Oriental Bay and Wellington East, Mr. A. Stuart Menteath ; Wellington Central and South, Mr. .Harry Marshall. Before the special constables left the hall they were presented with batons — mining-hammer handles, and badges bearing the words "Special Constable." Some of the more cautious attempted to conceal them, but several of them strolled out into the street carrying batons quite openly in their hands. By this time the word had gone round that "something, was doing" in the Town Hall, and a fair crowd of strikers — a few with their wives — had gathered outside the hall,< and the men who had sworn to serve their "Sovereign Lord the King" were subjected to the close scrutiny of the sullen onlookers. "Take it home and boil the kettle it," called out one woman, whose sympathies were obviously with the strikers. She followed up the remark by observing in a shrill voice "Won't his mumma make him a nice cup of tea with it, in. the morning." ' The, "specials," after leaving the building, wended their ways in different directions. Meanwhile the mounted police rode up and down outside the Town Hall, but there was' no attempt just then on' the part of the strikers to interfere with the "specials." STILL MORE ENROLMENTS. The swe»rine-in of the "specials" was continued to-day at the Town Hall. Outside on the footpath opposite the main entrance a handful of men — perhaps pickets — kept vigil in A half-hearted fashion, but the scene was by no means one of animation. Several additional "specials" who swore to do all in their power to preserve peace and order were enrolled and then left quietly to go about their usual business. ONE THOUSAND ALREADY AVAILABLE People thronged the Magistrate's Court and Towp Hall yesterday and today, eager to be sworn in as special constables. Up to 1 o'clock this-after-noon it was approximately estimated by the authorities that over 1000 persons had been sworn in. The authorities would be glad to rece&e further applications for enrolment, TO PROTECT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY All Government buildings in Wellington will be under the protection of Government servants, who have to»enrol as special constables, Those who axe in the Territorial service were sworn in yesterday. It is understood that the duties of tljese special constables is to be confined to the protection of' Government property only. At the same tima £hey may be called upon to take part, as a last resort, in the quelling of any unnfluafly violent disorder. SIGNAL FROM THE WARSHIP Should it be .aeceßsary, the Superintendent of Police will communicate with the officer commanding H.M.S. Psyche to fire a gun as a signal for special constables to fall in at Lambton Station : This is by day. By night a searchlight vertically directed will aieo be_ shown in .addition to the firing of the gun. STEADY STREAM ' In' the afternoon the stream of volunteers for special constable duty was a very steady one, and the ertrollers were Isept busy. Instead of being presented with batons at the Town Hall the "specials" are receiving these _at the Police Station, and very complete arrangemente are being made to organise the newly-constituted guardian** of the law. Strong squads are being formnd in all districts, a leader being appointed in each instance. '