DANGER IN THE STREETS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 106, 31 October 1913, Page 6

DANGER IN THE STREETS

To-day's reports of . yesterday's incidents in Lambton-quay and Post Officesquare should be sufficient -warning to women and" other curious folk that the streets^at the city's heart are dangerous -in this time of excitement. • Necessity may compel mounted men to charge unruly mobs, and even to use firearms, if .lives are seriously menaced by lawless persons. Some individuals in the crowds yesterday had revolvers, and, many had stones. Therefore a heavy penalty may be paid for idle curiosity in these days when conflicts may occur at any moment. Onlookers who cluster near mob orators or at other points of interest are a serious hindrancft to the police in case a prompt 1 concerted, movement by a number is needed to quell disorder. Secondly, these groups of mere spectators may give the strikers a false impression that their quarrel, which had a bad beginning and a worse continuation, has a large measure of public sympathy, whereas it is an undeniable fact that an opposite' feeling exists among the vast majority of citizens. Thirdly, the price of tlio spectacle may be a broken hone or an injured head. The Pos,t has to reserve judgment on the charge of mounted men in Post Office-square till full information is available, but meanwhile it is well for the public to remember that such incidents are almost inevitable if strikers throw stones and detonators at the patrols. Our senior morning contemporary haa hastily stated, editorially: "The occurrence can only be characterised as a senseless and unwarrantable proceeding." Here ia that journal's own report of things done before the charge happened : "A perfect etorm of 'booing' greeted them (the mounted constables), on « as they passed some of the men. threw nngry epithets after thorn. , The poGoo passed, the orowd fell in behind, and a number of men, picking up stones from the railway line, commenced, with a few isolated shots, what became quite a little fusilndo of motal before the wharf , gates had boon passed. Detonators, exploding with resounding reports, were thrown before the norsee, and tho startled animals plunged and threatened to rush on the orowd that lined the way. Many of the stone* thrown found billeto, and before they were fully through the square tho police were getting a particularly warm time. Howls of derision and contempt rose on all aides, and the e<^ne wa«-ono of BW*Xk sriW disorder/