PEACE IN MELBOURNE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1923, Page 5

PEACE IN MELBOURNE

MILITARY IN CHARGE. MORE POLICE STRIKE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) MELBOURNE, November 5. Order has now been restored and the city is in charge of large bodies of military and special police. Fully armed pickets are guarding the banks and public buildings. Machine guns are held in readiness at the Victoria Barracks. In view of these measures, a repetition of the rioting is not expected. The estimates of the damage through looting are very varied. They range from fifty thousand to a million pounds. Heavy showers fell on Saturday and Sunday, which helped to damp the spirits of the rioters, and there is similar weather to-day. Owing to the troubles, Dr. Earle Page (Federal Treasurer), and Mr Bowden (Minister of Defence) left Sydney for Melbourne last right. Among the Government’s precautionary measure is the transfer from Williamstown to the powder magazine at. Marybynong of the ammunition and bombs, and sixty million cartridges, Fifty thousand bombs are now being stored there under an armed guard. Addition plain clothes police today joined the strikers, who now number nearly two-thirds of the total police force.

LOOTING OF SHOPS.

Rough estimate of the damage, made last night, shows that a total of 78 shops were looted. Men’s clothing stores, in particular were singled out by the raiders. Twentyone of these stores were stripped of their contents. Next came the jewellers, fifteen of which were ransacked. Altogether 30 shops were attacked in Bourke Street, 14 in Elizabeth Street, 12 in Swanston Street, 11 in Ejttle Collins Street, and five in Collins Street. There were isolated cases in other city streets, as well as in the suburbs. Stocks of great value were pillaged wholesale. It is estimated that it will cost £lO,OOO to replace the plate glass windows alone. The Premier (Mr Lawson) late last night, stated that the Government after mature consideration, had concluded that it was impossible in the interests of the public welfare, in any circumstances to reinstate any strikers. These had been false to their oaths, violated their trust, and deserted their posts, thus handing the city over to the lawless elements of the community. It was inconceivable that such men should be taken back into the service, which demands so much honour, good faith, and reliability from the personnel.

INCIDENTS DURING RIOTS. MELBOURNE, November 5. Numbers of womeii took a prominent part in the incitement to looting. Among those dragged from the train was a clergyman, who, holding a Bible aloft tried to calm the excited crowd. He was howled at, and pelted with missies, and finally he was knocked over with a flying bottle. Anyone attempting to resist the rabble was brutally knocked about. Some were kicked into insensibility. One motor-car,, carrying a posse of special constables were fired upon, a revolver bullet piercing the car and narrowly missing a. constable. The footpaths in the vicinity of the looted jewellers’ shops were littered with silverware and otjier valuables, which the looters threw from.the windows to those outside, who helped themselves indiscriminately. Quantities were found afterwards that had been thrown away in a rush to escape when the- police arrived in sufficient strength to scatter the mob.

Business in the heart of the city this morning presented a remarkable appearance. Streets were strewn with broken glass and other debris, and many gaping empty shop windows were boarded up. The falling rain helped to heighten the scene of desolation.

Squads of soldiers and men from the warships, with, special constables, armed with rifles and bayonets were all marching about the streets, guarding the banks and public buildings, and suppressing any inclination of the curious sightseers to congregate. They added to the general impression of a sacked city. One Bourke Street shop displays a notice : “Yes, we have no windows; but business as usual!” As an outcome of the rioting, the Police Courts, which are being strongly guarded, are working overtime to-day. There were long strings of charges, including those against half a dozen women for offensive and insulting behaviour. The Government has been inundated with offers of volunteer assistance. It has sworn in large numbers of special constables. There appears to b e little chance of a recurrence of_ the trouble on Saturday’s scale, but there are ugly rumours that the Ballarat Police and the City Tramwaymen contemplate joining the strike. The Citizens’ Committee, the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, and the Returned Soldiers and Sailors’ League have taken measures to assist in every possible way the maintaining of law and order. The Lord Mayor has issued a statement thanking all sections of citizens for their splendid, widespread response for assistance, proving that all right-thinking people are determined to prevent the city being handed over to mob mile.

A statement issued by the Police Committee disclaims any connection whatever with rioting. There is a tendency on the part of the property owners to blame the Government for not taking timely precautions to swear in sufficient special constables to guard the city when they knew the usual police were not available. LAWLESS INCITEMENT. MELBOURNE. November 5. Mr Tom Walsh, the President of the Australian Seamen’s Union, addressing a meeting of the striking police on Saturday, urged them to meet force with force. He declared that the world was governed by force and if they carried on with the same solidaritv as they wore doing, they would show Premier Lawson that he would fail. The Government was merely the spokesman of rhe capitalist class. The meeting decided to ask for the services of the Trades Hall Dispute Committee. ISOLATED OUTBREAKS. MELBOURNE, November 6. Though order has been practically restored, there are still isolated outbreaks in various parts of the city. The Government ordered the hotels to close at 2 p.m. to-day until Thursday, with the object of obviating any

disorder after the Cup meeting. A ban has also been placed on the sale of bottled beer. A fire at premises in Spence? Street last night was attended ,by special constables, who were attacked by a mob. A man was also attacked at North Melbourne. His wife, who went to his assistance, was also assaulted, both being badly injured. Business premises which suffered by looting have resumed trade.A number of persons concerned-iff the rioting during the week-end were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from three to four months. EX-SOLDIER MURDERED. .. MELBOURNE, November 6. . Thq man m/urdered in Wirth’s Park' on Saturday night has been identified as William Spain, an employee of the North Melbourne Locomotive Sheds, and a member of the Sixth Brigade, at Gallipoli, and later of the First Light Railway Company. He was on the Ballarat when that vessel was pedoedWARSHIPS ARRIVE. The State Ministry has taken steps to- enrol five thousand special constables. Financial institutions and trading organisations are making ar-, rangements with employees to . c<> operate. Owing to the increasing traffic, trams have discontinued funning into the city. After four o’clock the streets were more congested than ever till six o’clock, as people were homeward bent, the vehicular traffic especially experiencing a difficulty, in forcing a passage. Th© response to a request for private cars for. swift transport for effective patrol work resulted in a thousand cars being offered.

Five warships are now in Hobsoffis ’ay, and two more are expected on Friday. In the event of emergencies all naval leave will be cancelled. Representatives of insurance companies conferred regarding liability respecting the losses byf accident and burglary. The conference adjourned ■util Wednesday. In. some quarters the opinion has been expressed that the Government will probably -relieve the insurance companies and business houses of any .financial burdens resultbig from the outbreak. Hotels' will .be closed on Tuesday but not Wednesday. Numbers of city and suburban shopkeepers are taking precaution to barrackade their premises in view of -the anticipated Cup Night crowds and possible attempts to renew the rioting. A considerable quantity of the loot stolen on Saturday has been recovered in the streets mid other places, wlicve deposited. . ■ -.