OUR MEMBER

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 May 1917, Page 5

OUR MEMBER

ARRESf£D t-QR SEDITION.

SLQCJEL Tu MUNICIPAL ■kLiicTluAS.

tl'er Press A B »«.uiatioij.] campaign- at Greymouth. ! Mr Webb was taken south i„ custody bv tomght's ferry boat. J * to

SENSATION IN WELLINGTON.

INTERVIEWED LN WELLINGTON.

I By Electric Telegraph-Special to "Star."]

WELLINGTON, This Dav. in political circles in Wellington and among- the West Coaster's a powerful sensation was created of mTp vte* * the ««5 T hi' C ? ebb ' MR for Grey. it had been known that for some time secret agents had been ™ "tt m ' ' seekill ff a prosecution. He was arrested on a charge ot having uttered seditious language m a speech made on the strife 8 the ieCent roal

Mr Webb, who hnd onlv recently returned from the Coast was staying at the City Hotel and was arrested in the afternoon and conveyed to Christchurch in the terry boat under escort and brought before the Magistrate there and charged with a breach at] 16 War Regulations. Ihe police, when asked for information in regard to the arrest »nd the charge, declined to make any statement.

Several months ago Mr Webb was challenged by a section of his constituents to resign and contest the seat upon his attitude in regard to current questions. The challenge was repeated since the announcement of the result of the municipal elections.

Air Webb stated to a representative yesterday that he would accept it and re-contest the Grev constituency if he receives a re- - quisition of a thousand electors to that effect.

„ r " fter "olds good," said Mr Webb, "and I still thins: that New Zealand has been so far ahead of other Dominions in regard to the supply of man-power that conscription is unnecessary. lam convinced that no member should continue to hold his seat a moment longer than he represents the views of a majority of his constituents, and I regret that Parliament extended its own life without a mandate from the people-" When Mr Webb was asked how. his mining constituents reconcileh their attitude against.conscription with their refusal voluntarily to continue work in an essential industry, he replied that Until the recent trouble no mines in the world had been so free from strikes. During the war with fewer men they had produced more coal and made a world's record in the amount of coal hewn per man- Except for a 10 per cent war bonus the miners were obtaining the same pay as before the war, and no one could accuse the miners of not enlisting, for it Had been found necessary to stop further enlistments so as to secure the coal supply. Mr Webb contended that the miners tried under the most trying circumstances to prevent their grievance reaching the acute stage of a strike.

UNION OFFICIALS ARRESTED.

V. O'Rourke (President of the State Miners"' Union) and James O'Brien were both arrested at Runanga at nine o'clock this morning and conveyed to GreytoutK*