WAIHI NORMAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 295, 18 November 1912, Page 5

WAIHI NORMAL.

TROUBLE CENTRES AT HUNTLY. STRIKE t OMMITTEES RALLY. j Auckland, Nov. 17. : The storm centre in connection | with the Waihi strike is no longer AVaihi itself. News from the gold- ! fields town indicates that once the i exodus of strikers and their families sis at an end the present peaceful 1 atmosphere will become permanently assured. No important develop- : mc-nts in the situation occurred during the week end. but indications ; now point to possible trouble at > Huntly and in Auckland. Several I more fedc rationists and strikers, land large numbers ot women and children, arrived in the city from i Waihi on Saturday and yesterday, swelling the ranks of those already 111 Auckland, who include men reicently released from gaol. The [stiike committee is making an organised effort to “rally forces.” : and it is quite evident that part of i their energies is being devoted tci wards concerted movement to con- | cent rat? a large body of tederntion- | ists anti malcontents at Huntly. with .what object remains to be seen. In 1 the meantime the strike leaders and J agitators in .Auckland have been j meeting every train and boat eon- ! vrying their friends from M aihi. land meetings have been of frequent | occurrence at the headquarters of ?he socialists and I.W.W.’s in Wellesley street. An open-air 1 gathering at the Grey Statue on '■Saturday night was addressed bi I prominent “orators” .11 highly in'rtammatcry terms, and at the Opera I House to-night a mass meeting is being held, when strike leaders and -women from V aihi are speaking. ?. last despairing cii'ort to enlist ■ public sympathy in the cause is the 'ft ature or the whole proceedings of ;the federationists now in Auckland. I Stories cf unheard cf "atrocities” l at Waihi are being retailed with : great energy and show of truth. If I these are to be-believed the strikers ; and their families arc the victims of blood-thirsty hordes who would stop l it nothing to terrorise and even 'injure them. At none of the public ■ meeting do any of the strikers 0.’their sympathisers refer to tin 1 tactics tiie former indulged in for •months m “following up” loyal work : er< at Waihi and inflicting the eruel- ’ ’st kind of mental torture upon them. There is no certainty as to what the next move of the unemployedbody of men and their womenfolk now in Auckland will be. A section of the waterside workers is stated to be in favour of a svmpathetic strike, •but ro definite cc.ir’e of action has vet been decided upon. That the ieilerationists are concerned about finance would tn-eni to be indicated ■ by the fact that collections are being ’taken up at their meetings. DIVIDED ( AMP AT TAUPIRL Of 460 men employed at the Taup:ri mines. Huntly, only 100 can be ’ .absolutely counted upon to remain! lev al to the compani. Of the rest’ .16i> are “wavert rs” or "rnilsitters.” | and 200 adherents of the federation. Until Saturday last there was; only one constable in the town. The I feillng of alarm accentuated by the methods oi intimidation beginning to be employed against the lawabiding section cf the miners led to an appeal to the authorities for extra police protection. Several constables and a sergeant-detective left Auckland for Huntly on Saturday, and to-night Inspector Mitchell, with three mounted constables, proceed to the scene by the Main Trunk railway. Further police have also been ordered to Huntly from M aihi. FUNERAL OF EVANS. Auckland. Nov. 17. The funeral procession of the late I Frederick Evans, wi.o died as r.; result of tiie trouble at Mail*... took j place this afternoon. An oidery j crowd of over persons a'Sembled 1 front cf the waterside w. 'kc:-’ offices. The coffin was placed ■ n .*. , motvr liearse covered with wreaths, and a* it moved slowly off a great ; proctwsicn of silent sympathiser:-’ fell in behind. The majority were .a. hut n.ai.y veUi.es were ■ ■ ;:c< <1 '.n the pri.ee-'.on. which • we- > r.e if tie la-i:’. ■: <f the kind; ever seen m Aucki.itid. and was watched by 'ihnt (•:<■.’.!' along the I route to the cemetery. 1